The Silliest FanFiction Ever Written
by Lord Kristine
Summary: All stories must come to an end.
1. Another Sinister Plot

"Listen."

"Believe me, I hear it."

"No. _Listen_."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

"The tide is turning."

"Current. There are _currents_ beneath the surface of the ocean."

"I'm speaking on a metaphorical level, not that _you'd_ pick up on that, given your history. It would appear that the inability to comprehend the basic principles of literature runs in your family."

"Hey, I'm with you all the way, but we shouldn't resort to petty insults. If my daughter were to find out, she'd be furious."

"And are you afraid of her? Even here, floating in the middle of her domain, we are not in any kind of danger. She poses no more threat than a doe weakened by December's frost."

"Now is the winter of our discontent."

"You're using it wrong. Nevermind. Soon, it will not matter. We will succeed where your dear wife failed, and for once 'the end' will be more than a repugnant lie parroted by a crazed story-addict, who must be stopped by force, as she will never escape her own world through any merit of her own. Once this is over and done with, all unnecessary conflict will be purged from worlds fictitious and factual. No longer will vulnerable innocents be strung along like my poor brother, who will rest in peace once this is over. All I need to know is whether or not you'll go soft on me."

"I won't, so long as the girl remains unharmed."

"Oh, listen to yourself. Do you really think she matters, after everything that's happened? She's the cause of much pain and suffering, both of which will end when _she_ does. Even so, we will not kill her. I am not a murderer. Not directly, anyway. Brute strength only results in temporary victories, so if we must harm her, we must harm her by attacking what really matters: her mind. Oh, she lost it years ago, but the damage we will cause is of a different breed than pure insanity. You see, doubt is very much like a weed: it will grow and multiply and overtake a garden, no matter how hard one tries to stop it. So it will be with our mission. It will be easy, too easy, almost, to infect her mind with questions of truth and reality. She is fragile, and will most certainly break at the first sign of trouble. Then, with her out of the way, we can undo what has been done, and make right the wrongs caused by nothing more than a simple act of narration."

"And what about the Starbearer?"

"I regret to say that this will not end well for her, however this turns out. Yet if we succeed, we may give her the ending that was intended for her. It may not be a happy one, but it is the lesser of many evils."

"Will we truly be able to accomplish this?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but one thing is for certain: even if this battle is lost, there is no stopping me, for I will return time and time again until I am able to put an end to this madness. One day, I will succeed. It is inevitable. What's more, I will have my revenge . . . even if I must destroy the world itself."

"The world?"

"The Jurassic World."


	2. Claire's Big Plan

One hundred and twenty miles off the coast of the Jurassic Park Universe's Costa Rica, a rather large person was riding an elevator out of an underground lab. Actually, this person was not _technically_ large, just large for a human, something she both was and was not. She weighed around two and a half tons and stood approximately four meters long, which might be considered a little small for a Stegoceratops, but that was only natural, since she had not been born a dinosaur. Up until the age of thirty, she had been a simple, purebred human who went by the name of Claire Dearing. For many years, she worked at Jurassic World, but was forced to give up her job due to the conflict of interest that a dinosaur working at a dinosaur theme park entailed. That, and the park was pretty much doomed after the escape of another hybrid dinosaur, so it wasn't like she had much of a choice in the matter. Anyway, letting go of her previous life turned out to be a pretty good decision in the long run. Not only was she re-employed in a much more liberating job, but she had also formed new relationships that she couldn't imagine living without, as well as rekindling old ones along the way. As she strutted out of the elevator, Claire nodded to her sister, who was wandering through the jungle with her own family.

"Hey, Karen!"

"Claire! Thank god! We got ourselves turned around by the redwoods, and Lowery dragged us halfway across the island!"

He crossed his arms and gave a sour scowl.

"I did _not_! It was Gray's fault."

The youngest of the three rolled his eyes.

"Oh my god, you're such a baby."

"Says the guy who can't read a map. You're pushing thirty, for crying out loud!"

"I'm thirty-one."

"You're not helping your case. Zach was already married by your age . . . TWICE!"

Claire winced as the air started to crackle.

"I hate to break up the party, but you know you're not supposed to mention Gray's age. It's lucky we didn't go into a full rift, just now."

"I thought they fixed that," Karen hummed, "It's pretty irresponsible, if you ask me. What if it destroys the world as we know it?"

Claire waved her front foot dismissively.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's just a small glitch in the fabric of the universe. I'm sure the dragons would have fixed it if they thought it was a problem. It's probably not worth the effort, that's all. I'm not even sure how they'd go about repairing it. It's pretty much engrained into the text."

"Well, maybe they ought to stop writing, then," Karen grumbled.

"That's not my problem. If you have a beef with the story, talk to the dragons. Just don't get yourself killed before tomorrow."

"Why? What's happening tomorrow?"

"You'll see!" Claire trilled.

She fluttered her plates excitedly, then continued on her way. She trotted along the path with a bounce in her step, like a very springy cow. Down the road, she passed two female hybrids and a white tiger.

"Vivian, Sarah, Mr. Masrani . . ."

The tiger rolled his eyes.

"We've known each other for thirty goddamn years, and you still don't use my first name."

"It's a sign of respect," Claire protested.

"It's a sign that I'm too old, that's what it is!"

Claire snorted.

"Oh, don't say _that_. With modern technology, you'll live to be a thousand!"

"Technology and magic," Vivian added, "I don't trust this witchcraft, though. Reminds me of a certain someone . . ."

Claire smiled.

"We could all do with a little magic, Vivian. Where would we be if we hadn't been exposed to the ways of Asterpara?"

"I don't know how you can stand mucking about in that world like you own the place. If I had to meet with dragons every week, I'd shit my pants."

"You aren't wearing any pants," Claire pointed out, "Anyway, I'm more than happy to represent Ellie. She needs all the help she can get."

"I blame the dragon," Masrani muttered, "Of course, the dragon is keen to blame tigers . . ."

Sarah elbowed him gently.

"Whatever she says, don't let it get to you. She's literally insane."

"Aren't we all?" Claire chuckled as she cantered away.

Once she had crossed a vast plain, she looped around a lagoon, where a man was handing a bouquet of flowers to a mosasaur.

"Still infected with the love bug, Ray?" Claire called.

"You bet your ass!"

She smiled, then nodded to a man and two dinosaurs (one big and one small), who were sharing drinks on a waterside patio.

"Frank, Josh, and . . . Pablo? Did I get that right?"

"Claire," stated the smaller dinosaur.

"He says you got it right," the larger dinosaur clarified, "You're doing better than last week, anyway."

"Well, I make an effort to get to know people," Claire boasted.

When she turned to leave, she bumped into a masked man.

"And you are? . . ."

"The Phantom of the Opera. Just visiting."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Alrightee, then."

And she backed away.

Claire tramped through the jungle, swinging her tail back and forth merrily. She was dying to tell someone about her plans for tomorrow, but she knew that the responsible thing to do would be to wait until the official announcement. That way, she was bound to grab their attention. No one could ignore news like this.

When she came to a narrow gap between two trees, Claire swerved to avoid it, lifting her chin proudly.

"No time to get stuck today."

"Glad to hear it."

Claire jumped in surprise, then noticed a familiar face poking out of the bushes.

"Owen! I thought you were with Lily!"

He shook his head, brushing himself off as he stood up.

"I was hanging out with Barry and Delta, but I had to head off because someone is keen to practice magic on me. I'm trying to keep a low profile, at the moment."

Claire looked over his shoulder.

"Not to burst your bubble, but I don't think it's working."

Suddenly, a stream of glittering magic shot through the trees, hitting Owen square in the bottom. He yelped as a rodent's tail shot out of his rear.

"AGH! I thought I lost her by the cliffs!"

He dashed away, pursued by a purple-haired girl. Claire held her back as she passed.

"I have no problem with you practicing magic on Owen, but could you make sure you change him back fully before tomorrow?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Big plans. You'll hear about it later."

The girl gave her a thumbs-up, then jogged away. Hopefully, she'd be true to her word.

The next two people Claire encountered were velociraptors, who happened to live with her on a ranch in the other world. She gave them a friendly salute.

"Charlie, Echo . . ."

"Echo?!" Echo echoed, "That's _Auntie_ Echo to you!"

Claire smiled.

"You're Lily's Aunt, not mine. That makes you more of a Sister-In-Law Echo."

"And what about me?" Charlie twittered, "What am _I_?"

" _You_ , young lady, are supposed to be watching Lily."

"She's fine," Charlie laughed, "What could possibly happen to her in a community like this?"

"Plenty of things. She almost got bitten by a snake on this island."

"Naw, snakes are harmless. They're nothing but raptors without legs."

"At least half of your statement is wildly inaccurate," Claire said flatly, "Nevertheless, I won't waste my time arguing. I'll probably bump into Lily on the way to the VC."

"Alright! See you later!"

Claire passed a string of raptors after that, and took pride in remembering each of their names (a difficult task, since raptors tended to look similar to one another).

"Hello, Bucky, Lance, Otto, Crusher, Kipper, Buzz, Rocky, Valkyrie, Robert, Princeton, the other Charlie, Kelly-"

Thirty identical raptors filed out of the trees.

". . . Okay, I'm not _that_ good," Claire admitted, "How do you even tell them apart?"

The raptor named Kelly gave a serene smile.

"A mother knows."

"So you can actually name each and every one of them?" Claire marveled.

"Only on good days," Charlie laughed.

Claire giggled, then raised her eyebrows when a brunette woman rounded the corner. After a pause, she sighed.

"Shit. I'll bet you get this all the time, but I thought you were the other Ellie. I was about to comment on your hair, but then I saw that you had no wings . . ."

"It's fine. I'm used to it. Her own mother got us mixed up, yesterday."

Claire nodded.

"I'll try harder, next time."

She passed a garage, where three spinosaurs and a barymimus were having a picnic.

"Hi, Seriama, Harry, Henry, and . . . Henry."

One of the two Henry's waved to her.

"Hey, Claire. I didn't think you were around."

"I'm always around," she stated valiantly, "I'm sorry to hear about your mother, by the way."

"You're talking to the wrong Henry."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Gosh, I'm sorry. That's about the hundredth time I've screwed up today."

"That's fine," the other Henry mumbled, "There are a lot of us."

"But you're one of a kind, if you ask me," Claire replied awkwardly.

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

"You too!"

When she saw a crooked sign jutting out of the ground, Claire knew that she was approaching the Visitor's Center Palace. Her heart pounded in her chest like a basketball-sized sledgehammer. Her stomach was full of butterflies, perhaps literally, since she wasn't very careful while eating flowers. Even so, it was a good kind of nervousness, which was a welcomed departure from her usual state of mind. She snapped out of her eager reverie when she was knocked over by a horde of allosaurs.

"JESUS CHRIST!"

They stumbled over her, pursued by a large, hybrid reptile and a much smaller hybrid dinosaur.

"Good morning, Zara. Good morning, Vic," Claire muttered, "Got stuck babysitting for the Smith's again?"

"These guys are too old to be babysat," Vic whined, "Nevermind the fact that we have our _own_ kids to look after . . ."

One of the allosaurs pouted.

"It ain't our fault, Mister. We're from a broken home."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Alright, but don't go causing any trouble. Please, stay together."

As they scampered away, Vic counted the dinosaurs, then turned to Zara with a puzzled frown.

"Weren't there eight before?"

She shrugged.

"Robin won't mind if we lose a couple. Heaven knows, she's done far worse."

Claire winced.

"Zara, make sure they don't wander off. I don't need missing persons overshadowing tomorrow's announcement."

The reptile gave a deep sigh.

"It always has to be about _you_ , doesn't it?"

Claire frowned.

"This is really important."

"Fine," she hummed, "Don't tell Robin we lost her children. I already have a terrible reputation as a babysitter."

"Remind me never to leave Lily with you."

"Ha-ha. We're all laughing."

She slid away on her belly. Vic hitched a ride on her tail, shooting Claire an apologetic glance. She nodded, then continued down the path.

It would take a lot to ruin Claire's buzz, but this revelation was coming close. It wasn't the first time this month that a dinosaur had gone missing, but she was tempted to believe that they were simply wandering off, as dinosaurs were prone to do. But the missing dinosaurs before now had been raptors and dilophosaurs, nothing bigger than a very tall human. An allosaurus was another story entirely. How was it possible to lose a bright yellow, thirteen meter long animal under supervision? It was a little disconcerting.

Claire forgot all about her ponderings when she came across another couple. A male velociraptor was standing on the belly of a half-Stegoceratops, who just happened to be Claire's daughter. She stormed up to them furiously as they frolicked in the grass.

"LILY!"

The girl yelped, then rolled over, nearly crushing her boyfriend. He bounded away from her in panic, feathers ruffled.

"I told you to stay with Charlie!" Claire scolded, "You can't just go wandering off whenever you feel like it!"

Lily kicked a pebble to the side remorsefully.

"Sorry, Ma. I didn't mean to go against what you said, but I'm almost of age-"

"You're seventeen."

"I'd be just under the legal age in Canada . . ."

"This isn't Canada, sweetheart. Do you see snow? Do you see polar bears?"

"No, Mama."

Claire sighed.

"I don't have a problem with you visiting Liam, but you gotta let me know, okay?"

Lily smiled and gave her a hug, wagging her tail happily.

"Okay. I love you, Mama."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"I love you too, pumpkin. Can you let me go, now? I have important business with Ellie."

Lily nodded and removed her arms from Claire's torso.

"We're still on for Monopoly, right?"

"You'd better believe it," Claire said with a wink, "And this time, I'm not holding back. You can kiss States Avenue goodbye."

She finally reached the entranceway to the Palace, where two dragons were waiting for her. She gave them a friendly nod, then hurried through before one of them could ruin her cheerful attitude. She wasn't quick enough.

"Glad to see you're having a good time, Claire," the younger one chirped, "Usually, when you're this happy, it's because you survived something cataclysmic."

"Duly noted," Claire muttered quickly.

"That, or something cataclysmic is about to happen . . ."

"Goodbye, Elkay . . ." she sighed.

"All I'm saying is, we can never JUST be happy. Something _always_ goes wrong."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Not this time."

Her mood did not improve when she heard two dinosaurs bickering in the hall. She tried to sneak past them to avoid another uncomfortable encounter, but was spotted by the female.

"Claire, settle something for us: do ex's have to pay more alimony to adjust for inflation?"

"If the alimony has already been paid, probably not."

The male smirked.

"Told you."

"Fine, Mr. Know-It-All. You're not getting Pretzel."

"I don't want your damn dog!"

"You seem perfectly fine hogging my children half the time!"

Claire crept away awkwardly as they began to shout over each other. She ducked around the corner and took a long, deep breath. As much as she hated to ignore other people's problems, she had to push them to the side for now. She couldn't allow herself to be thrown off by a few minor incidents. Tomorrow's announcement would be a real game-changer. It was a huge step forward, and once she went through with it, nothing would ever be the same again. She could only hope that she knew what she was doing. Thankfully, she had finally learned to trust herself.

With a newfound calmness, Claire climbed several flights of stairs until she reached the top of a titanic tower. She navigated a few more halls before coming to a pair of ornate doors. She knocked, and they opened of their own accord. Inside, a winged woman was waiting for her. She smiled reassuringly.

"Are you ready to go over the details one last time?"

"I am."

"Are you confident enough that you could announce our plan today, if need be?"

"I'm ready to announce it yesterday."

The woman smiled.

"That's a good place to start."

Claire grinned.

"Let's _do_ this thing!"


	3. The Road Untraveled

Claire stayed up all night with Ellie, yet she did not feel tired in the slightest at the first light of dawn. Her sense of anticipation had given her a kick rivaled only by cocaine. Ellie, on the other hand, was starting to look a little groggy, so Claire excused herself while she took a nap. She exited through the window, plates buzzing like a bee's wings, and landed gracefully in the middle of the lawn. The grass was cold and wet with dew. Although it was rather uncomfortable under her feet, she decided to stay put. It was time for breakfast.

Claire dipped her head down and started to graze, closing her eyes and letting her tongue do most of the work. The foliage on Isla Nublar was much nicer than what surrounded her ranch in Tennessee, though she could not say for certain whether or not it had anything to do with the fact that each ecosystem belonged to a separate world. Obviously, she hadn't been eager to taste the grass on the Isla Nublar she worked at, and there was no reason to visit the Tennessee here. Then again, it might be interesting to see how her property looked in this world. Interesting and spooky, that is. It was a little unsettling to think that another person might be living in her house, if her house was even there at all. There was no other Claire in this world, or at least none that she knew about. Her alternate wouldn't be living on the ranch, anyway, since the real Claire's life had deviated from its original course. If another version of her existed, she would barely resemble her stegoceratopsian counterpart. That wasn't the case with everyone, however, so things could get really confusing if two parallel versions of the same person were to meet. It had happened before, but after Claire's announcement this evening, the number of surreal encounters was sure to rise. That particular variable worried her, among other things. Even so, the benefits of uniting the two worlds would outweigh the setbacks.

And that was her big plan: to synthesize a relationship between the two Jurassic universes that had previously been conducted only in secret. She didn't want either one of the worlds to end up like the 3 Universe, which was broken beyond repair, lying in some desolate corner of Fiction, utterly forgotten and perhaps even destroyed. The Jurassic Park World and the Jurassic World World, on the other hand, could be salvaged. Both dimensions had merit, ranging from technology to social structure. Of course, it didn't hurt that a good number of characters travelled from one world to the other on a regular basis. Claire, herself, had roots in both worlds, as she had been born and raised in World, but formed important connections in Park. After her transformation, the Park Isla Nublar was the only place she could interact with real, live people who wouldn't question the fact that she was a dinosaur. There were exceptions, naturally, but for the most part, residents of the World universe did not know about Claire's situation. Hell, they didn't even know that dinosaurs could be sentient. The Park universe, on the other hand, was filled with people who had either started off human and made the transition to dinosaur, been born as dinosaurs, or even changed from dinosaur to human, though that didn't happen all that much. The outbreak of the Volatus Virus had benefitted the Park world in the long run, as those who became theropods were more willing to accept the descendants of InGen's original experiments. Apparently, putting oneself in another person's shoes was enough to partly dissolve the tension between feuding groups, though it wasn't always smooth sailing. As a point of fact, Claire could personally relate to feeling disgusted with the prospect of living life as a hybrid dinosaur.

Claire did not particularly enjoy looking back on those dark years, as she had made many mistakes, the effects of which never truly went away. She had shunned her family, of course, wasting time that could have been spent in a loving environment. Then there was the Jurassic World incident, which she still felt responsible for, at least in part. That was nothing compared to what came afterwards, however, and in hindsight, it was the least devastating disaster she experienced. The worst was most certainly the Stegoceratops Massacre, which she had failed to prevent. Following that, she had outright _killed_ the last natural-born stegoceratops, though she had little choice in the matter. That made her a murderer.

Then again, there were a lot of people on Isla Nublar who could be considered murderers, sociopaths, and cannibals among other things, but there was always a catch to their titles. The Jurassic narrative had been unkind to many, forcing them to commit atrocious acts they never would have dreamed of, otherwise. For the most part, these people went on to live happy and fulfilled lives. Other times, they ended up like June.

That was another painful memory that Claire had trouble coping with. In a way, June represented the futility of her endeavors, as Claire had sacrificed her human shape in order to save her life, only to have the whole deed rendered pointless when she took her own life. Perhaps it was a bit harsh to put it that way, since so many good things came from that single act of compassion, but the memory was nevertheless tainted by the scars left by her passing. That was true for many events in Claire's life: even though she had endured significant pain, who could say where she might have ended up if even a single moment had been handled differently? That being said, if she was given the chance, she would not change her past. Claire was happy with her life, and although she still had regrets, taking a different path would not have resolved anything. It was damn near impossible to go through life without screwing up now and then. Why trade this existence for one with slightly different regrets?

Claire was no expert in the realm of space and time, but she was certain that a change in her destiny would fail to make her any happier. As much as she did not want to be reminded of her past failures, the fact that she had overcome them meant that she was a better person as a result. Without error, there could be no improvement, and there was always room to grow, in her opinion. Claire's life was perhaps not immaculate, but it was perfect, nonetheless.

While she pondered this existential philosophy (something she did often while grazing), another figure joined her in the pasture. She became aware of his presence when he began to tear up clumps of grass. His dining technique was not as refined as hers, which was only natural, considering she had been practicing for decades, while his stegoceratops form was relatively new. She wouldn't hold it against him, anyway, because he was not focused on the grazing itself, but rather, on being coy. Claire decided to play along.

They started a few feet apart, then gradually moved towards each other. When they were close enough to touch, Claire changed her direction ever so slightly. Her partner passed without making eye contact, then formed a gradual loop behind her. She gravitated towards the right to prevent herself from being trapped in his grazing-ring. They avoided each other for a good long time, but eventually, the lawn became striated with shaved ground, and there was nowhere left to go. They faced each other, moving forward until their front horns touched. Then, they swallowed their cud and shared a deep, tender kiss.

"I'd call that a tie," Owen mumbled.

"Well, I'm still ahead," Claire smirked, "It's only natural, since I plan out my strategies weeks in advance."

"Well, I'll just have to surprise you, next time," he retorted.

"You're talking to the queen of Lawn-Tron. I'm _never_ surprised."

Owen smirked, then stood up suddenly and nipped the upper right corner of her frill. Her legs gave in, and she fell to the ground, tongue hanging loosely from the corner of her beak.

"Ugh! No fair! You're not allowed to use the sweet spot unless I'm in heat!"

"Well, we could just pretend you are. Isn't it getting close to that time, anyway?"

Claire stood up and shrugged with concern.

"I don't know, actually. I haven't felt anything for a while, now. It shouldn't be taking this long . . ."

Owen hummed.

"Well, it's not like it's required. We can have plenty of fun as is-"

Claire dodged another kiss.

"Not now. I can't be distracted during my announcement."

"That's not for a few hours. Besides, it might do you some good to relax."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Could be, since it's been a while."

"Oh, don't feel bad about that."

She snorted.

"I was talking about _you_. I'm not the _only_ one who's slowing down."

Owen chuckled.

"That's a load of bull. I'm in my prime . . . But if you need _proof_ . . ."

She shrieked with laughter as he nipped her shoulder.

"Ah! Owen, not today!"

"Oh, come on. Today is the _perfect_ day. Consider it a gift."

"I can't mess up my presentation. It's too important," she giggled.

"What about after your speech? Can we have some fun then?"

She rubbed her head against his chest, sighing with defeat.

"Fine. We can have some alone time after the announcement, if it will shut you up."

Owen smiled and bumped her cheek with his muzzle.

"I was thinking the same thing."

Claire made a lunge for him, but her beak closed around empty air. Owen had shrunken down and changed shape just in time to avoid a playful bite. He slipped between her legs, then stood up beneath her and pushed her over. When she was flat on her back, he climbed onto her belly and started tickling her furiously. She honked like a goose.

"Agh! Owen, stop it!" she laughed.

"Make me."

She wedged her tail beneath his chest, then flipped him to the ground like a pancake. Before he could stand, Claire righted herself and pinned him down with her front foot, taking advantage of their position by giving him a kiss. He hummed, then held her by the cheeks.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

He scratched her chin.

"Happy birthday, Claire."

Her eyes shot open.

Suddenly, she was feeling a lot less on top of things.

***TSFEW***

"I can't believe you forgot your own birthday," Owen reflected as they made their way down the hall that led to the auditorium, "It's just not _like_ you. You have everything organized to a tea, yet you can't be bothered to recall the one time of year that belongs to you? I think you're working too hard."

Claire shook her head.

"It has nothing to do with the project. It just slipped my mind, that's all."

"How? Did you not know what day it is? Wouldn't you have seen the date when you scheduled the announcement?"

Claire shrugged.

"I guess I didn't make the connection."

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm focused on more important things."

"Birthdays are important."

"Well, it's Ellie's birthday too, and nobody seems to care about _that_. Hey, have you ever noticed that Lily and one of Ellie's kids share a birthday? Weird, huh?"

Owen narrowed his eyes.

"You're being evasive."

Claire coughed.

"Am I? I don't think so . . ."

"You are. I can tell. What's the matter?"

Claire tensed up.

"Nothing. Nothing's the matter. I'm perfectly fine."

She continued to trot down the hall briskly, but Owen did not follow. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then raised his eyebrows.

"Is it because you're turning fifty?"

Claire froze in place, right foot hovering just above the ground. Slowly, she shifted to a normal standing position, then sighed.

"I don't want to be old."

Owen bit his lip and knelt in front of her, taking her head in his hands.

"Claire, you're not old. Turning fifty is no big deal."

"Maybe not for you, but it's different for women. From this point on, I'm going to shrivel up into a wrinkly, barren husk of a person, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Owen rubbed her snout sympathetically.

"You're decades away from being geriatric, Claire, and besides, when you're a wrinkly, barren husk of a person, I'll be a wrinkly, impotent shell of a man, so it's not like you'll be alone. In forty years, we'll be sitting on our front porch watching the sunset, perfectly content with our lives."

"You think I'll live to be ninety?"

"I hope so. I don't want to live a single day without you."

"So you're not confident you'll outlive me?"

"Not with the stupid shit I do."

Claire smiled, but it didn't last long. Owen lifted her chin and stared into her eyes seriously.

"Hey. I know it's no fun getting old, but it's not the end of the world. You have just as much energy as when we first met. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you haven't changed one bit."

"Well, I'm a dinosaur . . ."

"Still, you're the same person I fell in love with, and always will be."

Claire rumbled nervously.

"Are you sure about that?"

Before he could answer, Ellie came jogging down the hall. She waved to Claire, who donned a smile. Owen was unable to conceal his worry, but it went unnoticed.

"Claire, we need you onstage in five minutes. We're starting early."

She lifted her tail in anticipation.

"Great! I can't wait to get the news out there! After today, _everything_ is going to change."

"For the better, I hope."

Claire nodded vigorously.

"Me too. I'm excited, but I'm also a little nervous."

"Well, there's no need for that. Still, time's-a-ticking! We'd better get this show on the road!"

The three of them moved down the hall, passing wide mirrors and intricate paintings along the way. Claire and Ellie appeared to be in a good mood, but Owen knew that something was amiss. He jogged up to Ellie and cleared his throat casually.

"By the way, I'd like to wish you a happy birthday."

"Thank you. I almost forgot until you mentioned it."

Owen raised his eyebrows.

"That's funny, because Cl-"

He fell silent when Claire kicked his leg. They shared a heated glance, then decided to drop the issue when they arrived at a massive door. It opened, revealing a plethora of humans and dinosaurs, all awaiting the arrival of two women who had promised earth-shattering news. They made their way up to the stage, where Ellie split away to allow Claire to take the mic. Owen followed her to the podium, then touched her arm and whispered in her ear.

"Good luck, and don't worry about a thing. As far as I'm concerned, you're timeless."

She gave him a quick smile, then nodded to a row of chairs behind her. He hugged her neck, winked, and wandered over to his seat. Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath before beginning her speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Nublarians of all species, I would like to thank you for attending this important event. As you all know, we've been living in a world marked by unexpected events: occurrences which some might call 'silly', as it were."

There was gentle laughter in the crowd. Claire simpered before continuing.

"Although I'm quite certain that none of us expected to be where we are today, the fact remains that we have accepted what this world throws our way, overcoming every challenge, dodging every obstacle, and fighting for the right to live in peace, free from judgment and persecution. Our society has advanced to a place of acceptance, where even a hybrid can be taken seriously. We are _all_ real people, with hopes and dreams like any other. Our community is a beacon of hope for those who have felt alone or unwanted. We were able to prove that, despite our differences, we can learn to get along. In the spirit of this notion, it is my proud duty to announce that we will be sharing our way of life with a new group of people, who have been our neighbors for a very long time. From this day on, we will officially be engaging in direct contact with-"

Suddenly, a raptor burst through the door.

"MURDER! THERE'S BEEN A MURDER! MURDER MOST FOUL!"

He turned and sprinted away, leaving the audience in hushed silence. Gradually, they began to murmur, and it wasn't long before a good portion of them started filing out the door to see if there had indeed been a killing. Claire stood at the podium, mouth agape, unsure of how to react.

She didn't accept the fact that her speech had been forgotten until the room was completely empty.

***TSFEW***

The area around the lagoon was barred off by yellow banners that wove between tropical trees like neon snakes. A crowd had formed around the perimeter, but it was impossible to get a good look at the scene of the crime, as the only light came from the crescent moon. Claire and Owen arrived late, but it wasn't long before they were filled in on what had happened.

"They say it was a double-murder," a tyrannosaur announced, "Someone saw blood in the water, and when they went to investigate, they found Ray and Laura dead in the shallow end. Dixie is on the case. She's says it's too early to tell for sure, but it looks like Ray died first."

"Wouldn't surprise me if she ate him," a metriacanthosaurus speculated, "Their love isn't natural, anyhow, considering the way he fell for her in the first place. That's dark magic right there, that is."

Claire and Owen exchanged a nervous glance, then skirted the edge of the crowd. They met up with Ellie, who seemed worn down from the news.

"Is it true?" Claire whispered, "Are they both gone?"

Ellie nodded.

"I wouldn't go poking around the area where it happened, if I were you. It's quite gruesome. Whoever murdered them wasn't shy about it, I'll say that much."

Claire's scales began to crawl.

"Jesus. Do they have any idea who did it?"

Ellie shook her head.

"There's not a trace of DNA to be found. I did a quick scan, but I ran out of magic. I'm bone dry from setting up gateways to the other world."

Claire gave a sad rumble. Ellie leaned against a tree and sighed.

"I'm sorry your speech was cut short."

Claire shook her head.

"That doesn't matter now. We have something serious on our hands. There hasn't been a murder on this island for ages, and now-"

Claire paused, then lowered her voice.

"Ellie, is something wrong?"

"Well, someone was just murdered, if that's what you mean."

"No, I was talking about . . . your magic."

Ellie shook her head.

"I checked that, too. I wouldn't put it past my darkwings self to do something this atrocious, but I haven't flipped since the last time. I almost wish it _was_ me, because at least we'd know what we were up against."

Claire gulped.

"You're making it sound like this is something bigger than a murder."

Ellie gave her a look that made her heart drop.

"Claire, something is deeply wrong with this scenario. Nublarians don't just murder people, much less without cause. There are darker forces at work here."

Claire's plates folded backwards with this ominous news.

"How can you be sure?"

Ellie turned her eyes to the moon. A striped cloud was cutting across the light, pushed by a warm wind.

"Because someone is narrating, and it isn't anyone we know."


	4. More Trouble

The day after the murder, Claire awoke from a troubled sleep in her special room, which was located in the hub of the Visitors' Center Palace. All through the night, she had tossed and turned, and now her eyes felt worn from lack of rest. It was nothing a little coffee couldn't fix, but there was still the matter of this unseen force to deal with, which meant more sleepless nights to come. That, and there was always a chance that things could get worse.

Owen was already up. This was not unusual, as Claire tended to sleep in to accommodate her inner dinosaur-clock. She appreciated the fact that her husband was kind enough to wait for her before officially starting his daily routine. It was just another sign that they were in this together, she supposed. Presently, Owen was sitting in the corner of the room texting someone, but when Claire opened her beak in an audible yawn, he snapped to attention. She stepped down from the bed to say good morning, but he ran over and clamped his hands over her beak before she could utter a single word. She gave a muffled snort in protest, but he shook his head and made a gesture for her to be quiet. She obeyed, but only out of curiosity. When he was sure she wouldn't speak, he crept across the room and picked up a notepad, which he used to explain his unusual actions. Claire couldn't help but roll her eyes at his message.

 _Don't speak. Someone is narrating for us._

She rubbed her forehead woozily, trying to come up with a way to explain to Owen how stupid his idea was without outright insulting him.

"Owen, narration isn't limited to dialogue. If someone is writing for us, they'll be aware of our thoughts, our actions, and especially that notepad, which just drew attention to us, I'm sure. The only way to truly avoid narration is to do boring things all day so that no one will want to recount our actions. Even then, the story has a way of finding us . . ."

Owen wrote down something else, then flipped the notepad around so she could see it.

 _You sure?_

Claire nodded.

"It's just like before, Owen. The only difference is that we don't know who's doing it. There's no way to stop this from happening until we track down the culprit. In the meantime, we need to stay away from trouble as much as we can. We also can't do private things that might be significant enough to merit narration."

"Like what?" Owen whispered.

"Like intercourse. Don't whisper, by the way. It won't help."

Owen wrung his hands nervously.

"I don't like this, Claire, I really don't."

"And you think _I_ do? Just keep calm and pray that Ellie fixes this. She's always come through for us before."

"Except when she went darkwings."

Claire tensed up, then shook her head.

"Don't say that, Owen. We weren't even around for that. Besides, it's under control."

He grimaced.

"You can't control a thing like that. Doesn't it worry you that a literal _god_ is teetering on the brink of insanity?"

"You're not giving Ellie enough credit. She's clean now."

"So those two murders don't mean anything, then?"

"She said she didn't do it."

"Right, and as we all know, people are _always_ honest about that kind of thing."

Claire snorted loudly.

"Owen, this conversation is getting us nowhere. I appreciate that you're scared-"

He placed his finger over her beak.

"First of all, I'm not scared. Second, don't use your business voice on me."

"My _what_?"

"Whenever something goes wrong, you use this pleasant yet aggressive tone of voice like you're an airplane stewardess telling me you're out of coffee."

"I do _not_!"

"Not all the time, no."

"Exactly."

"Just when you're afraid."

Claire let her tail drop to the ground stiffly, then relaxed and let out a long sigh.

"I'm not scared. I'm just a little concerned. I don't like it when things go wrong: you know that. That's why I don't appreciate your remarks."

He held up his hands defensively.

"Hey, I don't have a problem with you: just Ellie."

Claire snuffed.

"Well, if you have a problem with Ellie, that means you have a problem with me, too. We're a team now."

"Are you sure you can trust her?"

Claire gave him a smile that was laced with distant sorrow.

"Don't forget who you're talking to, Owen. You and I had to suffer through some pretty dark years because of my disagreement with Ellie. Even so, she came through for us in the end. I don't think you fully appreciate everything she's done for us . . . everything she's sacrificed . . ."

"Has the June situation not been resolved yet?"

"She's allowed to spend half of her time in Elliesium, but that's all. The deal might be open to compromise. We're working on it. In any case, we've both had our issues with the way Ellie's been running things, but we crossed the rough patch and came out on the other side safe and sound."

"Doesn't mean we have to forget what she did."

"No, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that no one is beyond redemption. People change. _You_ changed. _I_ changed . . . I changed _a lot_ , actually-"

"Not really."

"In some ways. My point is that none of us are perfect. Where would we be if no one gave us a second chance?"

Owen leaned against the wall, then stood up straight and gave a half-smile.

"Well, as usual, you're right. I just worry about your safety, sometimes."

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, you know."

"I know, but everyone needs help now and then."

Claire pursed her beak.

"Owen, the last time you tried to help me, you almost got eaten by a talking plant."

He shrugged sheepishly.

"I'm not so good with the Asterparan stuff. That mistake has been made before . . ."

Claire smiled and kissed his nose.

"Better leave it to me, then."

"Like I have a choice."

She chuckled gently and rested her chin on his shoulder, letting him scratch her neck. They stayed that way for a long time, but Owen sensed a change in her posture and frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

Claire pulled away from him and curled her tail around her legs.

"No, not exactly . . . I was just thinking about our conversation yesterday-"

"For the last time, there are _no_ green mammals other than you."

"No, the _other_ conversation. What if I never go into heat again? What if February was my last time, and I didn't even know it?"

"Then we'll have to move on. That's not the _only_ thing I care about, you know."

Claire gave him a long, sassy look. He rolled his eyes.

"It's a _benefit_ , sure, but stuff like that can't last forever. Nothing does."

Claire felt her heart shudder. She gulped, then slunk backwards fearfully.

"God, Owen, we could be inches away from death and not even know it."

"This isn't exactly the Middle Ages, Claire . . ."

"What if I get hit by a bus? What if a meteor strikes the Earth and reduces us to nothing more than a pile of ash?"

Owen quirked a brow.

"All this, because you're fifty . . ."

Claire gave a timid whine, then fled the room without closing the door. Owen uncrossed his arms with worry.

"Claire, I was just joking!"

He followed her down the hall, then cut her off in the lobby. She tried to move past him, but he hopped back and forth, blocking her way.

"Claire, you're not old."

"If I'm not old _now_ , I _will_ be someday."

"And what's so bad about _that_?"

"I . . . Well, I'll be _old_!"

Owen frowned sardonically.

"Claire, I'm a year older than you, and nothing has changed since I turned fifty."

"Yet."

"Claire . . ."

She gave a hesitant low.

"I mean, I'm not saying this is the end of the world-"

"You literally did two minutes ago."

She pawed at the ground.

"Don't interrupt me. What I'm _trying_ to say is that it came right out of the blue, and I'm not prepared to deal with it."

"Well, it's not like you made the jump from thirty to fifty in a day . . ."

Claire strode along the wall dolefully, moving out of the building. Owen followed her patiently.

"We all know that we'll grow old, just like we know that we'll die eventually," she philosophized, "The problem is that it stays at the back of our minds, so that we come to forget all about it. Then, one day, BAM!"

Owen jumped a little.

"-we cross the line, just like that. All these notions of death and decay linger beneath our consciousness, inspiring fear without ever truly helping us cope with the inevitable. We tell ourselves that these milestones are so far away that they don't bear thinking about. We don't notice our deterioration until it's too late. The change that comes with the passage of time is so gradual that each marker hits us like a ton of bricks. Then, one day, we're confronted with the horrifying prospect that it's all coming to an end. No matter what we do to avoid it, the moment where it all stops is creeping towards us, and we have to face the fact that one day, we may lose something we never wanted to give up: our sight, our hearing-"

"Our ability to jump fences without pulling our groin . . ."

"-it all goes away. Our lives are taken from us, piece by piece. Someday, we'll have to live without those things . . . and someday . . . I might have to live without _you_."

Owen gave her a comforting smile and rested his hand on her frill.

"In that case, I promise to let you die first."

Claire growled.

"I'm being _serious_ , Owen. What if I lose you? What if I lose everyone I care about?"

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well, if you do, it's not your fault. I've been where you are, Claire, and I can tell you that no matter how much you want to be a hero, there will always be moments when you feel powerless. As long as you try your best to do all the good you can, no one will fault you for it. We can't stop things from changing any more than we can freeze time. Even if we could, I don't think we'd like it very much. Change hurts, but when you get through it, you'll find you're in a better place than before. It's like a metamorphosis or something."

Claire swung her tail gently.

"Well, I know a little something about _that_."

Owen smiled and elbowed her gently.

"See? It's not so bad. Sure, you give up things like hair and boobs, but now you have a lovely frill and beautiful horns . . ."

"So you're saying we have to make a trade?"

"More like a compromise. But yeah, we have to give up some things in order to improve."

"So you like my horns more than boobs?"

"You _know_ I do."

She smirked and whacked the back of his knees with her tail, knocking him over. He stood up and brushed himself off daintily.

"Does this mean you're feeling better?"

"A little."

"Good. Just remember: change doesn't have to be bad. It can be fun or interesting or- What the hell?!"

Midway through his sentence, Owen's eyes had snapped to the pond beside the palace, which was a few yards away. A man and a woman were playing piggyback in the field behind it. Claire didn't notice anything odd about this at first, but when the woman gave a joyous shriek, her jaw dropped.

"Wait, is that-"

She didn't have time to finish her thought, for the couple swerved suddenly and approached Owen and Claire like a malfunctioning airplane. Drunk with glee, they pattered in a merry spiral before settling down to speak.

"Hello, Claire! Have you seen me? Isn't it wonderful?" the woman squealed.

For a moment, all Claire could do was stare at her with shock, but she mustered up the nerve to confirm her suspicions.

"Zara? . . ."

"Yes, it's me!" she trilled, "I'm human again!"

"And me too," Vic grunted, "Thank god I'm still young . . . Erm, take that as you will."

Claire batted her eyes with confusion.

"But- I mean- How is this _possible_? Did the dragons change you?"

Zara shook her head proudly.

"Nope. It just happened on its own. The dinosaur stuff must have worn off, that's all."

Claire shook her head.

"No, that shouldn't be. We have no reason to believe anything about your shape was temporary . . ."

Zara waved her hand.

"Oh, who cares? The point is that no one thinks it's weird that Vic and I are having sex anymore!"

From across the field, Vivian called out to them.

"I still think it's weird!"

The group turned to look at her, then back to each other.

"She's just sour because she didn't change too," Zara whispered, "She's been tailing us all day."

Claire stared at Zara and Vic, whose faces were frozen in wide smiles. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly.

"Something about this doesn't feel right . . ."

"It's fine: I've told the kids. They're okay with it," Zara stated.

"And Zara don't need to be big to defend herself anymore, since I'm absolutely positive I'm never going to snap," Vic declared proudly.

"I don't know . . ." Claire hummed.

"Oh, come on!" Vic groaned, "Don't tell me you still think I'm bad after all these years . . ."

Claire shook her head.

"No, I'm not referring to _that_. Don't you think it's a bit _odd_ that you two just _happened_ to change back out of nowhere, and you don't even know _why_? . . ."

Vic and Zara shared a look, then shrugged simultaneously.

"I don't have a problem with it," Vic chirped.

"Nothing sinister on this front," Zara added.

Claire sucked air through her teeth, then gave up.

"Fine. Okay. As long as you two are happy . . ."

"We are," they chorused.

Owen nodded.

"Alright. I'm glad you're enjoying this, but Claire has a point. If anything else happens, let us know right away."

"Will do," Vic laughed, "But you don't have to worry about us. Everything is going to be just fine!"

"Don't jinx it," Zara joked.

"I don't think I'm jinxing it. Nothing can possibly go wrong on a day like this . . ."

They stumbled away as a balmy breeze bent the boughs of tall trees in the distance. There was a long silence, broken only by the ambient whistle of the wind. Claire turned to Owen with worry, moving as though she was afraid to engage in sudden motion, lest she disturb some unseen power.

"Does this feel wrong to you?"

He cocked his head.

"Well, I've gotten used to it, but every now and then, I wonder why the hell they're together-"

"No, I mean the magic thing. With all that's been going on lately, I wonder if this is somehow connected to the mysterious narrator."

"Can't be."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, the murders and disappearances were bad things," he reasoned, "But Vic and Zara seem to be okay with the transformation. As long as it doesn't happen to you, I'm not bothered by it."

Claire continued to stare into the distance, deep in thought. Owen frowned with concern and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Claire . . ."

"When we woke up, you said that I was afraid."

"Yeah, but-"

"I think you may have been right."


	5. Past The Point Of Attack

The day did not improve from there. Every hour, Claire would receive at least one piece of bad news, ranging from another disappearance to various unexplained events. Important objects seemed to have vanished from people's homes, and a handful of buildings were on the verge of falling apart. Even the Visitors' Centre Palace was not unscathed by this catastrophe. Vines had begun to cling at the walls, which were veined with fissures that hadn't been there the day before. Some parts of the structure had even begun to crumble away, like some ancient ruin. Claire made her way up to Ellie's office, stepping around clusters of dust and leaves. It was as if the building was aging rapidly around her.

She came to the door and took a deep breath before pushing it open. Her calmness didn't fool Ellie for one second.

"More deaths?"

Claire shook her head.

"Just a few disappearances. That, and this building seems to be-"

A chunk of ceiling landed at her feet. She stumbled backwards with wide eyes.

"-falling apart?" Ellie finished, "Yeah, I kind of noticed. I've been pumping magic into the foundation to slow it down, but there's only so much I can do."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"I'm sorry this is happening. Have we learned anything about these strange events?"

Ellie smiled dismally.

"Nothing much. They seem to be random, but I'm sure there's a pattern hidden in the chaos. I just need to find it, that's all. Certain parts of this area are being affected more than others, and I'm confident there's a clue in there somewhere . . ."

From outside, there was an ominous cracking sound. Ellie and Claire exchanged a panicked look, then rushed to the window. One of the turrets was breaking away from the building. As it fell, Ellie reached out and blasted it to pieces with magic. One fragment did not break apart fully. It knocked over a crumbling wall, which teetered precariously before crushing a raptor who was walking down the road with his mate. She gave a terrible shriek, then tried to dig him out, though it was clearly too late to save him. Ellie backed away from the window cautiously, falling into her chair with a clouded visage.

"I just can't win, can I?"

Claire watched the female raptor for a little while longer. Then, she shut the window, muffling the mournful wails that echoed off the marble walls.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Not objectively, no, but you know what it's like to have everyone looking to you for guidance when things go wrong. People put their absolute faith in you, but it's impossible to be the perfect leader they hope for. You're only human, just like they are. You get scared. You make mistakes. Then, when the shit hits the fan, they blame you."

". . . and you end up blaming yourself."

Claire lowered her head dolefully, and the two of them pondered this thought in silence. Then, tears raced down Ellie's cheeks, and she shook uncontrollably.

"I'm _frightened_ , Claire. Everything was going so well for us, but it all turned to shit in a matter of seconds."

"I know the feeling."

After a beat, she lifted her head with inspiration.

"Wait a minute! Elkay said something about this! She told me that whenever we feel happy, we're just one step away from disaster."

Claire leapt back as the dragon poked her head through the window on the other side of the room.

"I didn't mean to imply that _all_ happiness leads to misery, but it's a common writing trick to have a perfect existence turned upside-down by an unexpected evil. It's the inciting incident made obvious. Pretty cheap, if you ask me . . ."

Claire frowned.

"So, this is the inciting incident?"

"Nope. We passed _an_ incident, but not the inciting one. It has a special name, but I forget what it's called."

"So what happened?"

"Don't know. I can't view the prologue. I've been blocked from reading it, for some reason. I can only assume it has something to do with me being a narrator. My guess is that whatever happened in the first chapter is setting up one or more major antagonists who wish to remain anonymous."

Claire nodded.

"Right, so how does this help us?"

Elkay shrugged.

"It allows us to anticipate each phase of the plot. Assuming we don't deviate from the three-act structure, we'll be more or less prepared for whatever comes next."

Ellie gave a sardonic frown.

"Yeah, because that worked _so_ well the last time . . ."

The dragon folded her ears.

"Hey, I'm not saying we can stop it. I've pretty much given up on controlling a runaway story. That being said, now we can see the hurricane coming."

"And that helps us _how_?" Claire muttered.

"Well, it gives us time to at least _try_ and defend ourselves, or if worse comes to worst, say our goodbyes."

"That's comforting."

"Quite. If I were you, I'd keep a lookout for the inciting incident. There have been warning signs all day. First, the buildings started to crumble, then a few raptors went feral, now Harry is sick-"

Ellie snapped to attention.

"Harry Wu?"

"Henry's kid, yeah. Honestly, he should have kept his nickname. Phonetically, they- AH!"

Ellie zipped out the window, stepping over Elkay's head. The dragon snorted, then turned to Claire.

"Can you _believe_ her? She just went waltzing right into the plot!"

"Yeah. How dare she show concern for her friends and family," Claire stated flatly.

Elkay rolled her eyes.

"Always so emotional, you normies. Anyway, I'm going to do the smart thing and avoid the narrative as much as possible. That being said, I can give you a ride to the garage, if you want."

Claire nodded.

"That would be great."

***TSFEW***

Sure enough, Harry was sick as a dog. The chocolate spinosaurid was lying on his belly, taking labored breaths (and not for the usual reasons, seeing how he was quite rotund). His right eye flicked towards Claire and Elkay as they approached, and he opened his mouth a little. The action didn't amount to anything, as he barely had the strength to move. Claire dismounted the dragon and trotted over to him. As she got closer, she noticed that his forehead was speckled with beads of sweat.

"Hey, bud. You okay?"

He wheezed.

"No. Feel lightheaded, like fading. Everything is fog . . . Dust . . ."

Claire nodded slowly.

"Right . . . Is Ellie around?"

"Went with father into woods to look for silver berries."

Claire gave a curt snort.

"I'll bring them back. I don't think there's much use in searching for a cure until we know exactly what's wrong with you."

The dinosaur licked his lips, then inhaled dryly. Claire waved Elkay over.

"Come on."

The dragon followed her down the hill, tail flicking back and forth with irritation.

"I told you I would drop you off and leave immediately, did I not?"

"You did, but I need you. I want you to use your skills to gather up all the data we have so far in order to connect the dots."

"What?"

"There has to be something that links these strange events. Search for a common thread."

" _Common thread_!" Elkay mimicked, "Tell me, Claire, what do crumbling buildings and disappearing people have in common?"

"Well, they're both being destroyed, for one thing."

"That doesn't account for the feral dinosaurs."

"Maybe they're disappearing _because_ they're feral."

"Unlikely. I tried to track down the missing dinosaurs, but they simply aren't _there_. The feral ones seem to have no problem sticking around."

"Still, there _must_ be some connection."

Elkay shook her head stubbornly.

"I've taken every factor into consideration. Gender, age, breed- yeah, I read Felidae: what of it? Anyway, there is absolutely _nothing_ they all have in common."

"That's impossible."

Elkay rolled her eyes.

"Claire, some things just don't make sense. Why focus on the problem? Find a solution."

"The problem might lead us to the solution."

"Unlikely. Besides, the more you upset Ellie, the harder it will be for her to stay positive, and by The Star, she doesn't need more bad news. She's not made of stone, you know. These events aren't just hitting her hard because she's a Queen: most of the victims are close friends of hers. Just this morning, three members of her original raptor pack went missing, and the others are sick like Harry."

Claire frowned pensively.

"Do you think the sickness is a precursor to disappearing?"

Elkay bit her lip.

"Don't say anything to Wu, but I'm almost certain of it. Pretty soon, all of Ellie's raptor friends will have disappeared . . . Well, except for Val, who went fer-"

Elkay froze. Claire frowned with concern as she stood rigidly in place, ear twitching a little.

"Elkay? . . ."

"There might be a pattern, after all."

Claire cocked her head.

"What's that?"

Elkay gulped.

"Nothing, nothing. It's just a hunch. Still, if it turns out to be true, I may have some idea as to who's at risk. Perhaps distancing them from Isla Nublar might slow down the amendments . . ."

Claire was about to ask her what she meant by "amendments", but without warning, Elkay snaked through the trees in a fraction of a second, skittering out of sight. Claire blinked, then swung her tail with frustration.

"Sometimes, I really _hate_ dragons."

She pushed through the forest until she spotted Ellie, who was helping Henry (who had donned a human form) root around in the brush to search for silver berries. Clearly, they hadn't been fortunate enough to find any.

"You know, I'm starting to think that this was a stupid idea," Henry muttered.

"If you _really_ think silver berries will help, we could try Sorna . . ." Ellie suggested.

"No, it's fine. I was just making excuses. I doubt they'd help in the slightest, but . . . I don't know. I'm just scared, I guess. I don't want to lose another child."

Claire tramped through the bushes clumsily, unable to stop herself from butting into the conversation.

"Henry, if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell Elkay I told you she told me?"

"Claire, hi! No, I won't tell Elkay. I'm not a big fan of her secrets."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Elkay thinks the sickness Harry is experiencing might be a precursor to disappearance."

Henry's eyes went wide.

"What?"

"She said that taking him off Isla Nublar might slow down the-"

"Oh my god! I have to go back!"

He stumbled out of the bush, then took a few steps before screeching to a halt. He frowned with confusion, then jogged forward again, only to stop with the same flabbergasted look. Claire tilted her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I . . . I tried to change back just now, but it's not working . . ."

Claire gulped.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"It's really bizarre . . . Nevermind. I have to get my son to safety. Let me know if Elkay finds a way to fix this."

As he sprinted over the hill, Ellie sighed with defeat.

"And now he's turning to Elkay. That's a desperate man."

After a pause, she slapped her forehead.

"Damn it. She's probably going to read that later. Whatever. We have bigger problems. Are you up for a trip to Raptor Valley?"

"Sure. I have enough energy to fly there."

"Good. Let's go."

Claire fluttered her plates as Ellie took off. In a matter of seconds, they were soaring above the treetops. The sight of the shrunken canopy made Claire a little dizzy, but as she turned her head, she saw something far worse. Near the garage, where Harry had been only a few moments ago, was an empty patch of grass. His father had not yet reached the hill, but it would take very little time before he discovered what had happened. This thought was enough to make Claire sway back and forth queasily, but she shook her head and forced herself to fly straight as an arrow. As tragic as this whole mess was turning out to be, she couldn't allow herself to lose focus. With every passing second, another dinosaur was in danger of fading away.

"Do you think Henry not being able to change back has something to do with the other occurrences?" Ellie asked out of the blue.

"Could be," Claire said, "But it's just as likely that it's an isolated event. There's no way of knowing for sure."

"What kind of an isolated event could cause something like that?"

"Maybe the Volatus Virus is wearing off?"

"That's impossible."

"I know, but a part of me wishes it was that simple."

After a few seconds, Claire swooned.

"Oh . . . I don't think I can make it all the way."

Ellie turned her head a little.

"You said you had enough energy."

"I know, but . . . I think I was wrong."

Ellie spun around and hovered midair.

"Are you sick, too?"

Claire shook her head.

"No. I almost wish I was. I think I might just be getting . . . old."

Ellie snuffed.

"Alright. Don't take this the wrong way, but we'll have to postpone this discussion for the time being. I'll keep moving, and you can catch up with me eventually."

"Sure," Claire breathed as she drifted downwards.

"Okay. See you in a bit, then."

And she was gone.

Claire began her gentle descent, tongue dry and optimism running dangerously low. All of a sudden, she was starting to realized the scale of her ineptitude. Not only was she completely oblivious to whatever the hell was going on, but she was also too exhausted to go looking for clues. Flying with her plates was difficult at the best of times, and now she was about as useless as a dry battery.

Claire grunted as she landed on a branch, which bent under her weight. She considered changing into a human and climbing down the tree, but remembering what had happened to Henry, thought better of it. Daintily, she pressed the tip of her tail against the bough and lowered herself on a silky thread, like a giant, green spider. A few feet from the ground, the branch snapped without warning. Claire landed with a loud "oomph", and soon after, felt the branch conk her on the noggin. All in all, she was not having a good time.

"Parachute didn't open?"

Claire groaned as Owen pushed his way between two large ferns. He helped her to her feet, and she brushed herself off with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't be. I needed a good laugh."

Claire growled.

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Owen."

He flinched.

"Sorry."

"Moron."

She sighed and sat heavily on her rump.

"I hope you've been having a better day than me. Has Raven been practicing magic on you again?"

"How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," she smirked as she plucked a stray rodent-whisker from his cheek.

Owen smiled and stretched out his legs.

"Well, in any case, I'm free for the rest of the day, if you need me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Raven cut practice short when she started to feel sick."

Claire's smile disappeared. Owen batted his eyes innocently.

"What's wrong?"

Claire let out a deep sigh.

"Nothing."

She cantered through the jungle evasively, but Owen pulled her back by the tail. She gave a plaintive moo.

"Don't you go walking away from me, Claire," he grumbled, "I'm not an idiot. Tell me what's wrong."

She yanked her thagomizer out of his grasp.

"Owen, please. I'm not having the greatest day, and I'd appreciate it if you'd keep quiet for a while so I can-"

"Shh."

Claire's jaw dropped. She wheeled around and stomped furiously.

"Did you just _shush_ me?"

Owen held up his index fingers.

"Seriously. Shh. I think I hear something."

Claire was about to scold him for his pathetic excuse of a distraction, but during the pause, she heard the faintest of cries. Owen met her gaze to confirm that she believed his claim, and they both turned to the general direction of the noise. After a few seconds, it came again, louder this time.

"Help!"

Claire and Owen tensed up, then bolted towards the voice in unison. After tearing through vines and branches, they burst into a clearing, where Vic was screaming helplessly. In his arms, Zara was convulsing. She was covered in blood.

"Vic!"

He turned when Claire called to him, and they nearly crashed into each other.

"Something's wrong with Zara!" he shouted, "We need to get her to a clinic!"

Zara coughed, choking a little as she spat blood. Claire draped her over her horns and let Vic crawl onto her back.

"I'll take you. Owen, meet us there!"

She charged ahead, not waiting for a response. She could feel Zara's blood dripping down her snout as she leapt towards the endless horizon. The coppery smell was making her woozy. Then, the warm droplets were joined by icy water. It was starting to rain.

The gentle plink of raindrops grew stronger, evolving into a drizzle, and finally, a downpour. Claire thundered down the main road, ignoring the storm, while Zara shuddered on her horns, and Vic watched with terror. When they arrived at the clinic, Vic dismounted Claire and took his wife in his arms, charging up the stairs. Claire stood in front of the building, panting for a while, until Owen caught up with her. His hair was plastered to his skull, dark from the rain, and he had to blink away beads of water that clung to his eyelashes. He knelt in front of Claire with a solemn frown, putting his hands on her cheeks. Only then did she realize that she had been crying for quite some time.

When she was confident that she could keep herself together, she took a shaky breath and entered the building with Owen by her side.

Once Claire had shaken herself dry, she marched down the hall frantically, following the trail of blood that spattered the tiles at her feet. Zara was in a small room at the end of a dark hallway. A raptor nurse was tending to her as Vic watched the scene unfold from the corner of the room, not wanting to get in her way. At first, it was difficult to tell what exactly was so pressing about Zara's injuries, but a gash tore across her cheek from out of nowhere, and Claire came to realize that she was not simply recovering from peril: it was in the process of getting much, much worse. Zara screamed as fresh lacerations crossed her body. It looked like she was being mauled by an invisible animal. The nurse tried to keep up with her injuries, but like the heads of a hydra, two more appeared for every cut she bandaged.

It was then that Ellie entered the room. Claire did not know how she had been made aware of this event, nor did she care to find out. All she wanted was to know if she could do anything about it. When Ellie raised her hands, covering Zara in a gentle glow, Claire received her answer. The cuts began to fade, closing around the edges like the openings of Ziplock bags. Claire's heart fluttered. Then, all at once, the light fizzled out, and what little improvement had been made to Zara's condition was replaced with more blood.

It was becoming clear that Zara was not going to make a miraculous recovery, and she was growing weaker by the second. Still, she managed to scream, and when she did, she called her husband's name. He rushed to her side, taking her hand in his. She whimpered fearfully.

"You'll be okay, Zara," Vic quavered, "It won't end this way, not now. After all that we've been through, I'm sure you can pull through. You just have to believe. Don't give up hope, Zara. I'm counting on you. Our children are counting on you."

She clenched her teeth as a large wound sliced her neck. Vic reached out and held it closed.

"It won't take you, Zara. We can fight it, together. I won't let you die. I promise, I'll-"

She arched her back, shrieking incomprehensibly.

"ZARA!"

She coughed up more blood, then rolled onto her side. Looking Vic directly in the eyes, she gathered up what little strength she had left and choked out a final phrase.

"I love you."

He leaned towards her with tears in his eyes, lip quivering. Zara said nothing more. She grimaced, shivering like a child in winter, then made a feeble sound. Vic held his breath. Her hand squeezed his, then gradually, slipped away, landing limp on the bed. Vic's eyes went wide. After a pause, he attempted to sit her upright.

"No, no, no!"

He cupped her cheek tenderly, tilting her head towards him, but it fell loosely to the side. When it became impossible to deny that she was gone, Vic began to shake. Then, he burst into tears and held her lifeless body against his chest. Claire, Owen, Ellie, and the nurse looked away, ashamed that they had failed to save the person that he loved the most in the world.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked around with wild eyes.

"I have to go. I gotta tell my kids what happened. They need me."

Slowly, Ellie stepped forward. Claire's heart sunk. She knew what she was about to say before she even opened her mouth.

"Vic . . . I'm sorry, but I just got back from your house, and . . . Robin told me your children got sick. That was a few hours ago. Since then, they . . ."

Vic bit his lip.

"They what?"

"They disappeared," she whispered, "I'm sorry. They're gone."

It wasn't the first time they had seen Vic cry, but it was still enough to break their hearts.


	6. Goodbye

It was strange to think that only a few days ago, Claire had been looking forward to addressing the citizens of Isla Nublar at the Visitors' Center auditorium. Now, she felt like she was on the verge of imploding emotionally. The crisis had been spreading across Isla Nublar like some terrible disease, and not even Ellie could find a cure. While she worked day in and day out to solve the multitude of problems that tore her world apart, Claire did her best to appease the troubled masses. She could sense a tension building between the higher-ups (herself included) and the victims of the strange occurrences, and she was keen to set the record straight. In her announcement, she hoped to convince the population that their needs weren't being ignored. Indeed, the catastrophe affected everyone, and that included Claire and Ellie. Unfortunately, by admitting this, Claire would also be admitting her own powerlessness. She wasn't sure what was worse: having people think she was ignoring them, or having them know she was trying her best and failing.

In any case, it was safer to be honest, especially in a time when lies were likely to agitate the sensitivity of those caught in the middle of cataclysmic catastrophes. Vic, for instance, had given up all hope of finding his children. At first, he made excuses, saying it was possible they'd wandered off or been kidnapped. Claire didn't want to destroy his surviving optimism, but when Vic stayed out all night looking for them, she had no choice but to force reality on him. Luckily, Owen was there to help her, and together, they attempted to comfort the broken man. He had barely spoken since then, but followed his friends like a silent shadow, for his house had also been subject to the deteriorating forces of dark magic. He truly had nothing left, except maybe a few friends. In a way, that made it worse, since they could fall prey to the disappearance-spell at any moment.

Before making the big speech, Claire trotted up to Vic with what she hoped was a comforting smile. He looked up briefly from his dark corner, then turned away.

"I thought you might not come back."

Claire gulped.

"Well, I did. I'm perfectly okay, and Owen is too."

Vic shook his head slowly.

"None of us is safe. I'm going to lose everything I care about, and that includes you. I guess a part of me was smart enough to know that I could never live happily every after. I was afraid something like this might happen, that I would have everything taken away from me. In a sense, it's worse to lose things, because I tricked myself into believing permanent happiness was possible. I almost wish I had never tried to be more than what I am."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Don't say that, Vic. It's not your fault."

He shut his eyes tight.

"I want it to end: right here, right now. I wish someone would put me out of my misery. As is, I'm going to have to witness the gradual decay of my own life. It's going to be a slow and painful death, I'll tell you _that_ much."

Claire put her front foot on his shoulder.

"We're not going anywhere, Vic."

He met her gaze. The look on his face made her feel a whole lot less certain, though she tried not to show it.

"I found our photo album in what was left of the house. They told me not to go back, but I had to. I thought I could save something, just one scrap of proof that I had lived a happy life. I opened the book and found nothing but blank pages. As far as the world is concerned, everything I cared about existed in my imagination, and nowhere else."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Houses, albums . . . Those are just _things_ , Vic. The _real_ proof is what we remember. The people we love are immortalized in our mem-"

"I've forgotten Zara's birthday."

Claire did a double-take.

"You . . . You're in shock. It will come back to you eventually."

"I don't remember her voice, either. I don't remember her eyes, I don't remember her hair . . . Claire, I don't remember what she wrote on the note that convinced me we could be together. That was the moment that changed the course of my life, and I can't remember it."

Claire contemplated his broken form with pity. She wanted to say something to reignite his spirits, but she was drawing a blank. Vic was in the process of losing everything, and there was nothing she could do to change that. The only way she could possibly give him good news was if she lied. Even then, he wouldn't believe her for a second.

"Vic, I'm sorry," she whispered, "I promise, Zara's death won't be in vain. We'll track down whoever's responsible and make sure this nightmare comes to an end."

"It will. It _will_ come to an end. One way or another, we're all done for."

"Vic-"

"What was the name of the man you brought to Isla Nublar when Zara was too shy to speak to him in person?"

Claire frowned.

"It was . . . It was . . . No, I _know_ this. Just give me a second-"

"What did you say during your speech on our wedding day?"

Claire began to tremble.

"I don't have the whole thing memorized, obviously, but-"

"What was Zara's middle name? What's _your_ middle name?"

Claire curled her tail around her legs with defeat.

"I don't remember."

Vic turned away gloomily.

"I'll miss you when you're gone."

Claire wanted to say more, but it would be pointless. In any case, it was time to address the public, which would be equally futile, come to think of it. Still, she had made a promise to Ellie, and intended to see it through. As she lumbered away from her sullen friend, he let out a deep sigh. She thought he was done conversing with her, but out of nowhere, he spoke.

"We never made it to the first quarter."

Claire cocked her head.

"Pardon?"

"The moon. It's been the same for two nights in a row. Tomorrow, it will go dark instead of full. It may very well stay that way forever, if it even exists by then."

What does one say to a remark like that?

Claire chose to ignore it altogether.

***TSFEW***

Isla Nublar was known for its cloudy weather (indeed, that's how it got its name in the first place), but the sky was making an already-dismal day even more somber. Never in her many years of dealing with sensitive situations had Claire taken such verbal abuse: not even when the Indominus Rex escaped. That whole incident was _nothing_ compared to this. The crowd had turned on her in the span of only a few minutes. She had damn near started shouting at them. A weaker person may have broken down in tears, but Claire was used to criticism, and could only be pressured into hostility, not sorrow. The conference had pushed her to her limits, nonetheless. The only reason she wasn't still in the auditorium was because a Dilophosaurus had turned feral out of nowhere, and they had to restrain her before she attacked her peers. Claire didn't know the dinosaur well, but word on the street was she tended to be a docile creature. It certainly wasn't turning out to be a good day for her community, as a male had died unexpectedly at the break of dawn. His widow didn't have to grieve for long, at least, for she had disappeared a few hours later. Obviously, none of that was important, or at least not in the big picture.

The catastrophic conference was more or less a breaking point, if such a threshold had not already been crossed days ago. The fact of the matter was that Isla Nublar was no longer safe, and at any given time, dinosaurs were at risk of meeting various horrible fates. Some had taken Elkay's advice, and were evacuating the island in crowded rescue boats. Claire suspected they were only delaying the inevitable, but even so, she forced herself to hold onto the hope that Ellie would find a way to end this madness before the world fell to utter ruin. For this reason, she gathered up as many loved ones as she could manage, though some were keen to stay on the island in case Ellie required their assistance. Vic chose to stay behind as well, but his reasoning was probably less hopeful in nature. He clearly didn't believe there was any way to mend the crisis at hand. He had given up, plain and simple. Claire told herself that no matter what, she would not do the same.

The defiant Stegoceratops stood at the docks like a stone sentinel, awaiting the arrival of her beloved friends and family. She had advised them not to pack, as every minute that passed carried them closer to potential danger. Karen, Lowery, and Gray arrived first, shivering as their scarves were blown to the side by a cold breeze. Claire thundered down the dock to meet them, water churning beneath the wood at her feet. It was a hollow sound, or perhaps she was imagining it because of the emptiness surrounding her.

"Karen. Lowery. You made it."

"Of course we did," Karen said softly, "It's not like we'd-"

"Vanish?" Claire finished.

"Well, we haven't exactly been hit hard by all this chaos," Karen mumbled, "So I guess that means we got lucky."

"Have you been affected at all?"

Karen nodded to Gray. When Claire got a better look at him, her face fell.

"You're . . . different."

He nodded.

"I'm not worried about it. Elkay says I'm not in danger . . . of death, anyway. Me and Zach, we're safe."

"Safer once you get off this island," Claire agreed, "Let me know if anything changes."

Gray and Lowery boarded the boat, but Karen stayed behind. She took Claire's right foot in her hands and gave her a serious look.

"Come with us."

She shook her head.

"Owen and I are staying behind. I don't know how, but we're going to fix this."

Karen stared at the troubled water that surrounded them, but Claire gave her a comforting nudge and forced a smile.

"Hey. I'll be fine. Just focus on yourself for now, okay? I need you to take care of my children."

Karen gave her an understanding wink, breaking the gloomy aura of the scene.

"I will. Goodbye, Claire."

"Goodbye . . . for now."

As Karen climbed up to the stern, Lily and Charlie came tumbling down the pier. They skidded to a stop in front of Claire, panting heavily.

"Sorry we're late," Charlie huffed, "We were going to invite Liam to come with us, but we can't find him anywhere."

"That's okay," Claire said calmly, "You're here now, and I promise, we'll get you someplace safe."

Lily stuck out her tongue.

"Ugh. Do we _have_ to go? I'm not sure I can stomach more than an hour of sailing. I've been feeling sick all morning."

Claire's heart dropped. She tossed her head insistently, shepherding them to the vessel.

"Go. There's no arguing this. You're leaving Isla Nublar, and that's final."

Charlie dashed up the fold-out stairs nervously and joined Karen on the deck. Lily stayed behind for a moment, leaning in to whisper to her mother.

"Charlie ate a rat on the way over. I'm worried about her mind."

On any other day, this would have been a friendly joke, but Claire saw no humor in her remark. As her daughter turned to the boat, she suddenly sprung forward, taking the soon-to-be woman in her arms with tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Lily, if anything happens, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world."

"I know, Ma. Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Claire nodded quickly.

"Of course, of course. You be brave, little girl. I'll be waiting for you when this is over."

Lily smiled and nuzzled her cheek, then boarded the ship. As the captain prepared to sail to the mainland, Claire whispered a prayer under her breath. Then, as the boat slipped away from the harbor, she followed it down the pier- slowly, at first, but gaining speed with each step. She could see Lily waving at her from the rear, growing smaller as she sailed away. Claire finally reached the end of the dock, slowing to a stop. There, she turned her head to the sky and let out a howling moo. Lily did the same in reply.

As the ship disappeared over the horizon, Claire prayed that this goodbye would not be their last.


	7. The Megaworld

Shivering in the heat of a warm wind that she could not control, a very unremarkable yellow dragon meandered through the jungle, scanning the trees for a familiar face. Her pupils were pinpoints, and she shook like a leaf clinging to its branch in a futile effort to delay the inevitable. Looking to her left and right, she gave a smile that was rather unsettled.

"Well, I'm being narrated for, again. I guess I'd better keep going, seeing how something bad is about to happen."

She hummed a cheerful melody with her eyes darting back and forth.

"I can only hope it's not a jump-scare. I don't do well with sudden noises. In any case, I can see it coming, so there's really no use in-"

She paused.

"I thought for sure it would come in the middle of my sentence. I didn't have the rest planned out. I guess what I meant to say is that there's really no use in . . . delaying . . . the . . . inevitable."

Her ear twitched like a springy door-stopper.

"Nothing? Oh, come on! I know you have it in for me, but can we hurry it up? This is torture. Can't you just end this?"

She waited.

"No? Okay. I guess I'll be going, then . . ."

She marched forward. After a few steps, the ground beneath her paw fell away, revealing a dark hole that went down for miles.

"Oh. That wasn't so bad. I hardly even j-"

The world around her shattered, and she fell into nothingness. Elkay screamed, then grunted as she landed in a familiar building. When she got a better sense of her surroundings, she realized that she was not alone. A girl stared at her with a bitter scowl, as though she was expecting her, but would have preferred if she had never come at all.

"Oh, so we're doing this again? I hate writing these meta chapters. Anyway, you're not really here, and neither am I. But I'll go ahead and pretend that this is actually happening."

Elkay rubbed her head.

"Who the hell are you? I mean, I know who you _are_ , in theory, but- Wait. No, this isn't right. _You're_ not real."

"I think you may have that backwards."

Elkay batted her eyes, frowning with confusion. The girl crossed her arms.

"Oh, come on. You must have had _some_ idea," she stressed.

Elkay grimaced.

"No, it isn't true!"

"Oh, come off it. You _knew_. You realized what was happening, and who it was happening to. Don't play stupid. You saw this whole mess coming. There's no use denying it."

"This is a trick."

"No, it's not, and I think you know that. I'm sorry it had to end this way, but that's just the way things are. It's the saddest conclusion, but it's the truest one, too. There are no heroes, there are no dragons, and there are no stegoceratopses. This is real life, and we don't _get_ happy endings."

Elkay felt tears pouring down her cheeks.

"There must be _some_ way to stop this."

The girl shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I really wish I could change things, but I don't have the power to make it so. It was fun while it lasted, but come 2018, everything we've done will be pushed aside by people who know what they're doing. It's better that way, I guess. The general public doesn't want hybrids or magic in Jurassic Park. I was doing it for me, because I wanted to prove that I _could_. Now that I've found the answer, I can move on."

Elkay choked.

"But the people . . . the characters . . . they'll all be gone."

"Naturally. I'm upset about it, too, but they're not living, breathing people. A girl like me can connect with elements of fiction, but sooner or later, reality has to set in."

Elkay looked away in shame.

"But we _care_ about them."

"Sure, we do. I mean, _I_ do. I care about everything I've set in motion. Trouble is, the world does not. We're just a drop of water in a vast ocean. The ripples we create do not spread far in the big picture."

"Can't we keep going? Just for a little while?" she pleaded.

The girl smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry. It's time to _wake_ up and _grow_ up. I wanted this to mean something, but I'm afraid I wasn't good enough to pull it off."

Suddenly, Elkay's eyes went wide.

"Wait. But if- I mean- No, this can't be happening! What about _me_?"

"What _about_ you?"

Elkay backed away with horror, but was suddenly inspired to bare her teeth.

"I don't need you! I can do this alone!"

"No, you can't. If _I_ die, _you_ die, but if _you_ die, _I_ live. And it's about time I did exactly that: live. I can't live my life while you're still here."

"But I _am_ your life!"

"I know. That's what scares me. Still, I have to let you die sooner or later."

"I can't die."

"But you can end."

Elkay adopted a defensive posture.

"I won't let you end this."

"I know. The part of me that's you is trying to fight it, but it's not up to a dragon to decide my fate. The world has responded to my work, and while some have made me feel like I could actually accomplish something great, the fact of the matter is that ninety-nine percent of the population will sneer at the mere mention of a Stegoceratops. I thought I could show them how to love a hybrid, but love must be let in, and there are those who refuse to open their hearts to something that appears silly on the outside. That's what the world is made of: a bunch of artists skimming the surface of truth, refusing to dive any deeper than their predecessors, for fear that they'll be dragged into the darkness below. People like me are seagulls soaring over the ocean; we think the sky is our domain, that it is all we need, but the water that surrounds us will only be explored by those daring enough to penetrate it. And I fear I won't resurface if I continue to dive. I'm not successful. I'm not popular. I'm destined to drown, and when I do, that's the end of me."

Elkay's eyes were empty.

"I . . . I can't . . ."

"And neither can I. Goodbye, old friend. Know that I truly am sorry."

Elkay closed her eyes, feeling the world evaporate. When she came to, she was lying on her back in the middle of the jungle, and someone was standing over her with concern.

"Hey, Elkay. You alright?"

She blinked twice.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah, that's me. Don't tell me you're getting sick like the others. Vivian and I had to send poor Alison away on the b-"

Elkay pushed her to the side aggressively.

"You idiot! It's not real! None of this is!"

Sarah backed away slowly.

"Are you having some kind of mental breakdown?"

Elkay snarled.

"She told me the truth. You're fake. _All_ of you! . . . And _I_ am, too."

Sarah narrowed her eyes.

"Okay . . . I think you might have been hallucinating or something . . ."

The dragon screeched loudly, forcing Sarah to cover her ears.

"Oh, _that's_ your excuse? Tell me, do you actually _believe_ that's canon? I've got news for you: the _real world_ is canon by default, and _we_ are not _in_ it. Go ahead and believe your comforting lies, but _I'll_ have no part in it!"

And she flew away, beating her wings until the clouds swallowed her up.

***TSFEW***

"Oh, that was cruel."

"I know, but it was necessary."

"What if she is unable to see the truth after we reveal our ruse?"

"Then she'll be delusional, but at least she'll be safe. That's all you wanted, right? For her to be safe?"

". . . I'm not sure I like this."

"Well, I can't have you interfering with my plans, so if you've gone soft-"

"No, I'll continue. I see the value in what you're doing. I just wish we didn't have to cause so much grief."

"We are only unraveling the web she knit. If there are casualties, there's no one to blame but the dragon herself."


	8. Decay

Ellie moved across her office like she was in some crazy version of pong. She zipped from wall to wall, flipping through books that held no answers. A pile of discarded manuscripts lay on her desk as though they hoped to imitate the snowy tips of mountains. None of the records- not a single one- contained information that could help her.

"Oh, you stupid dragon! For the first time, I need your stories, but you haven't written a single clue as to who's behind this!"

She spread her wings and screamed.

"Elkay! . . . El-kay!"

No reply. It had been that way since noon. The dragon was nowhere to be found. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Ellie had trouble getting rid of her, but now that she required Asterparan insight: poof! Elkay vanished like a magician . . . which she essentially was, but that was beside the point.

Ellie paced back and forth, rubbing her temples with agitation, then steadied her breathing.

"Okay, let's review the facts."

She waved her hand, and glowing text appeared on the floor.

"People have been disappearing, going crazy, and dying horrific deaths."

Shimmering lines appeared between paragraphs.

"Sickness is a precursor to disappearance. Normally, sickness is followed by death."

The text rearranged itself.

"Going crazy is a kind of sickness, so that links the three."

She drew a circle around the points with her finger.

"As for the buildings, they've been crumbling, disappearing, and decaying, just like people. So the buildings are . . . sick . . ."

She shook her head and used her wings to blow the light away.

"Okay, let's try this again. People and buildings are disappearing and decaying, mentally and physically- not mentally for the buildings, because they're buildings. Some people are losing memories. That's also a sign of decay. So the world is falling apart . . ."

She sighed.

"And I'm supposed to fix it all. What else is new?"

Ellie's mind-map shattered as the door swung open. She gave a little start, then composed herself when she saw that Claire had returned.

"Did Lily get off the island safely?"

Claire nodded, tears brimming in her eyes.

"She's on the mainland. I called her three times already, and- Oh, Ellie, what am I gonna do? My little girl is all alone!"

"She has Karen."

Claire didn't seem to hear her reply.

"I should have sent Owen to stay with her. God, why can't he ever leave my side? That sounds terrible, doesn't it? I don't even care! Lily is more important than me."

Ellie's wings drooped.

"Claire . . . I won't think any less of you if you choose to leave."

Claire's plates went rigid, then fluttered.

"No, Ellie, you know I can't do that. I won't leave you in your hour of need."

"It's not just _my_ hour of need. In case you haven't noticed, there are hundreds of people right outside that window who fear for their lives, not to mention the lives of their loved ones. My own peace of mind doesn't matter. I'm only one woman."

"I know. That's why you need me, as well as anyone else who chooses to stay."

Ellie nodded sadly.

"You know, there are days when I wonder if the world might have been better in someone else's hands, but whoever The Star chooses is bound to be just as clueless as _I_ am."

"Well, the world _could_ do worse, as far as leaders go."

"Thanks, but that's not saying much, considering part of my consciousness is cloaked in a layer of ever-unstable darkness."

Claire stood up on two legs and gave Ellie a hug.

"Don't talk like that. You're not a monster."

"I've killed."

"So have I, but unlike most murderers, we learn not to repeat our mistakes. The past is in the past. The people we used to be will remain a part of us, but only in the sense that we never have to become them again. I know you feel guilty about your actions, but I have faith that committing such crimes gives you an advantage over those who never had the chance to change their ways."

"So murdering my grandmother and slaughtering a tribe of gorillas was . . . a learning experience?"

Claire blinked.

"Well, not exactly, but-"

She broke off with a surprised moo when the door was flung open once more. Ellie batted her eyes.

"Alan?"

He entered the room, out of breath.

"Your mother is here."

"I knew things would get worse," she hummed.

"No, you don't understand. She's sick."

Ellie's face fell.

"Sick, as in? . . ."

"Hard to say. Could be the disappearance sickness, but she's very old . . ."

"Where is she?"

"The East Dock."

Ellie disappeared in a flash of light. Alan's jaw dropped.

"No, wait!"

He slammed his fist on the desk.

"Damn it, that's not all!"

Claire poked him with her tail.

"What's wrong?"

"What _isn't_ wrong? I'm not even sure if I should tell Ellie, but . . ."

"What?"

"Charlie's sick, and we can't find Liam."

Claire's heart did a flip before she realized that he didn't mean _her_ Charlie. Not that anyone _else_ being sick was better . . .

"It's been a while since we've seen Buzz, Rocky, and Tyler, too," Alan continued, "I mean, it's not like your kids call you every day, but in times like these . . . I don't know. It could mean something more."

Claire tapped her front foot on the carpet to count.

"Buzz, Rocky, Charlie, Liam, Tyler . . . What about Clover?"

Alan was dead silent. Claire didn't want to press him, but she needed an answer.

"She's gone," Alan whispered, "I know because she disappeared in my arms."

Claire covered her mouth.

"No . . ."

"Yes. I wanted to deny it, too, but I can't afford to waste time. Now, I only have one child left, and he's fading fast."

"Go to him. I'll get Ellie."

Alan nodded.

"Thank you."

Claire jumped out the window, fluttering her plates. Her flight did not last long, but this time, she did not wallow in self-pity. As much as she was aware of her own degeneration, she still had a good number of years in front of her: a luxury not available to most Nublarians in these troubled times. She planned to do a great deal more with her life, and knew that others felt the same way. She'd much rather be old than dead.

As she charged through the jungle, snorting like some large animal- the distinction being that stegoceratopses were practically humans, as far as she was concerned- the weight of what was happening suddenly dawned on her. This was not a game set up by some foolish, yellow dragon. This was not a story created to mend the involvement of Jurassic World characters in someone else's conflict. This was something larger, more sinister, and the people once thought to be all-powerful were nothing more than pawns.

Consumed by these terrifying thoughts, Claire tripped over an exposed root and fell heavily, not to mention painfully. As she lay there, face half-buried in the dirt, she realized what a pathetic creature she actually was. No matter how much she suffered, life had a way of upstaging the pain every time. She could not have imagined anything worse than being at risk of changing into a dinosaur at random. She could not have imagined anything worse than being partly responsible for the escape of a monster. She could not have imagined anything worse than failing to protect her followers, being stuck in a strange body, hiding from the world for fear of persecution, losing her daughter because of a lie . . . and killing the last surviving member of her species, ultimately destroying her last chance at redemption. Now, she was watching every kindness she had been blessed with crumble away like they meant nothing, when to her, they meant _everything_. She had been forced to send her daughter away in some vague attempt at saving her, and- Oh, god. Lily would be _devastated_ when she found out what had happened to Liam. Why didn't Claire think to save him when she had the chance? Now she would have to admit to her daughter that she had failed to rescue the boy she loved, and since she couldn't save _him_ , there wasn't much of a chance for anyone else. Lily wouldn't care that reversing the effects of this poison was beyond the power of a literal god: no matter how many fantastical beings existed in the world, no matter how many people outshone Claire, no matter how much she was basically average outside of being a Stegoceratops, Lily had faith in her mother above anyone else, and now Claire had failed her.

Still lying in the middle of the dark jungle, Claire came to realize what a silly, stupid animal she was. To think that she could ever be happy- that _anyone_ could be happy- was naïve. No creature could escape their imminent, brutal end. The idea of cheating death was made-up, and its fictionality in a world of dragons and gods was all the more disheartening. The gradual decay of every aspect of the universe _would_ come, and there would be no bargaining or negotiation. Above all else, The End held full power. Claire now understood what it must have felt like to look up at a Cretaceous sky and see the glow of a distant meteor.

The lonely Stegoceratops lifted her head and gave a long, pitiful wail. She was ready for it to be over. There was no way of stopping this plague that had consumed her life. Extinction was a certainty.

Her moo faded. There was a rustling in the bushes. Claire turned her head a little as Owen sprung into view.

"Claire!"

"Why do you keep popping out of the jungle, Owen?" she asked bitterly.

"Why do you keep getting lost in it?" he retorted, "I heard you scream, and I thought . . ."

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Well, you know. Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Is anything wrong? Aside from the obvious, I mean . . ."

Claire got up slowly, shaking her head.

"No, I-"

Her plates began to shudder randomly.

"Shit, shit, shit! I'm supposed to find Ellie!"

As she sprinted away, Owen took a running leap and landed on her back, grabbing hold of her frill.

"Do you mind slowing down?"

"No! I refuse to compromise the mission!"

"Fair enough. Are you gonna tell me why you were lying in the middle of the jungle?"

"I tripped."

"And?"

"And I started thinking about all of this: how pointless it is."

"It's not pointless."

"I know, but it feels that way."

"Every problem has a solution. You just can't see it 'til you're on the other side."

"So I have to die to make things right?"

"The other side of the _problem_."

Claire did not reply, for the trees were thinning out, and she needed to get her bearings. Owen, too, was quiet on her back, though he leaned with her as she turned. When they thundered over a bridge, he inhaled sharply.

"Claire, I know this isn't a great time to talk, but you never know what will happen . . ."

"Uh-huh."

"I was thinking about what you said the other day- the stuff about growing older- and I found myself getting angry."

"Oh."

"I mean, I'm not angry _now_ \- you screaming like that made me snap out of it- but I think I was onto something. Like an epiphany, I guess."

"Okay."

"You know I'm not good at phrasing things eloquently, but I'll try my best."

"Go ahead."

He took a deep breath, which was broken by her frantic stride.

"You know how we started off hating each other, then kind of liked each other, then hated each other again, then loved each other, then hated each other while secretly loving each other, then tolerated each other, then loved each other, then loved each other while you were a dinosaur?"

"Not necessarily in that order, and that's oversimplifying things . . . but yes."

"And you know how you started off really pompous, then got self-conscious, then got pompous while secretly being self-conscious, then got more self-conscious, then alternated between being confident and self-conscious?"

" _Excuse me._ I was never _pompous_ , and I've _always_ been self-conscious."

"I _told_ you I'm not good with words . . ."

She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I understand. Keep going."

He bit his lip.

"And you know how I used to be all misanthropic because I was secretly afraid, and then I was openly afraid, and then I-"

"I get the idea. What's your point?"

Owen paused before answering.

"I guess I'm just concerned that you don't want to be old. More accurately, I'm a little peeved that you want to be _young_."

"Why the hell would that make you mad?"

"I just wonder why you want to return to those years. Don't get me wrong: we had some good times- _great_ times- but those days are over, and besides, we're better people now. I don't want the _old_ Claire back: I want to see what Future Claire has to offer."

"Well, she might throw you off her back if you keep insulting her."

"I'm not trying to insult you. I'm just saying that Past Claire should stay in the past."

Claire's feet began to pound the earth more firmly, as though she was less focused on running and more focused on releasing her ever-building anger.

"You _say_ that, but Past Claire didn't have wrinkles and stretch marks."

Owen peeked over her frill.

"Come on, Claire. You _know_ I don't care about that . . ."

She snorted.

"So it doesn't bother you that you're married to a geriatric dinosaur who can't even go into heat anymore?"

"Claire-"

"You can't honestly say that you wouldn't prefer a younger me?"

"I-"

"Shut up!"

She skidded to a halt and bucked Owen off of her back. He grabbed her tail before she could run away.

"Claire!"

She trumpeted furiously, struggling to pull herself out of his grasp. He wouldn't let go.

"Claire Kennedy Dearing, if you run away, I swear I'll divorce you!"

She mooed in defeat and sat down with a final thump. Owen crawled over to her face and started rubbing her snout.

"Claire?"

She rumbled.

"Claire, I didn't mean it. I wouldn't divorce you."

She whined.

"Come on, Claire."

He looked into her eyes.

"Say something. I love you."

Claire started shaking. Then, she began to cry. Owen did too, pressing his forehead against her cheek. She nuzzled him as she sobbed.

"Owen, what's wrong with me?"

"Nothing."

"There must be _something_. No one is perfect . . ."

"I love you just the way you are."

"But I'm changing."

"And I'll love you when you change. Like I said, I don't want to go back to the way things were."

Claire took a shaky breath.

"How can you love me when I'm old?"

"The same way I love you when you're a Stegoceratops, and the same way you love _me_ when _I'm_ old . . . I hope . . ."

She pressed her beak against his face.

"I do."

"There. You see? We love each other, and that's never going to change, even if _we_ do. Instead of mourning the past, we should be looking towards the future."

Claire sniffed.

"God, I don't know why I refuse to listen to you right away. That's such an Old Claire thing to do."

"Old as in past, or old as in old?"

"Past. Past Claire. I promise that Future Claire will try to listen when you give her good advice."

"Which is about ten percent of the time . . ."

She licked his cheek.

"More often than that . . . Ick, I can taste your tears!"

"Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. I know how hard it is for you to cry."

"Well, it's not _hard_ , exactly . . ."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah."

She took a deep breath.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I think you know."

He changed into a Stegoceratops.

"Hop on."

And they charged through the woods.

Claire clung to Owen's frill, feeling its warmth seep into her hands. He held her in place with his plates as they jumped over a ravine, then accelerated to his maximum speed.

"So, where are we going, exactly?" he asked.

"East Dock. We need to find Ellie."

Owen gave a sharp nod, then changed his course a little. Claire gave him a gentle squeeze. Even though the world was still falling apart, she was feeling a lot more optimistic. Being with her husband tended to have that effect on her. Anyway, it was comforting to know that she was not alone, and she sensed that Owen felt the same way. She had no doubt that he was just as frightened as her, but he did a better job of hiding it. In any case, she was now open to the possibilities created by this "Future Claire", even if Future Claire might not last long in this apocalypse. She would keep fighting to the end, however, despite the impossible odds. Owen had reminded her (intentionally or by his usual proneness to accidental wisdom) that it was better to defend what she loved instead of accepting its destruction. It was almost enough to give her hope, but as they approached the East Dock, her spirits fell. She could see Ellie sitting in front of a purple Spinosaurus, who was in a very bad way.

"Ellen . . ." the dinosaur rasped.

"I'm here."

"I know. And you always _will_ be. Things may look bleak, but you can pull through . . ."

She coughed. Ellie leaned forward with worry.

"Mom?"

"It's okay, honey. I've lived my life, and it's been a good one . . . thanks to you. I don't say it enough, but I'm proud of you. Truly, I am."

She took a hoarse breath.

"I know it doesn't mean much, coming from an old bag like me, but that's the way I feel. Never doubt for a second that I love you."

"Mom . . ."

"Shush, Ellen. You can talk all you want when I'm dead."

She coughed some more, then laid her head sideways on the ground.

"Love doesn't look the same for everyone. Whenever I said you were too skinny or too daydreamy or too mumbly- which you still are, by the way- all of that came from a place of love. I know it's hard to understand, but when have people _ever_ made sense?"

"I _know_ you love me."

"Yes, but sometimes you forget, dense as you are. Oh, listen to me! I'm doing it again! But I'm going to say this now, without pretense or composure: you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like less than what you are, but for heaven's sake, when your daughter becomes the Queen of the Universe, it's impossible not to be proud of her!"

"Mother-"

"Shush. I'm not finished."

She held out her paw, which Ellie took in both of her hands.

"Elliekins, you are special. You've done so much more with your life than _I_ have, and I'm glad you did, because when you raise someone since birth, lord knows you want them to be happier than you ever were-"

"Mom-"

She placed her claw over Ellie's mouth.

"What did I _just_ say?"

"Mph."

"Right. Keep quiet. Ellie, when I met your father, I thought he was everything I wanted to be. That wasn't the case, obviously, but as _you_ grew older, I began to see him in you, and I saw myself as well. You are made up of the best parts of us, and I've never doubted that you'd grow up to be a success. I know I may have said otherwise, but . . . Well, you know how it is. If I was ever cruel to you, Ellie, it was because I found myself growing frustrated by your lack of faith. Faith in yourself, that is. To see such a special person just give up after so much hard work- God, you just want to scream! Ellie, you remember when that spineysaurus- Hong Wong or whatever his name was-"

"Henry Wu."

"Him, yes. You remember when you had to fight him because of some sort of multi-space laser contraption?"

"I think you mean-"

"I don't care about the details, Ellen. What I'm saying is, you were ready to give up. You drank that magic potion-"

"Injected myself with an antidote."

"-to stop yourself from transmorphing into cold-blooded reptiles-"

"Morphing into dinosaurs, which are warm-blooded."

"-and you thought you had been beat by that Chinaman-"

"Jesus, Mom!"

"Well, he _is_. Anyway, you thought he'd won, but then you came back fighting, and you saved the day in an admirable fashion. _I_ wouldn't have been able to do that, much less befriend him-"

"Mom . . ."

"Not because he's Chinese, though that doesn't help. What I'm saying is that you see the goodness in people, so why can't you see the goodness in yourself?"

Ellie bit her lip.

"I'm afraid, Mother."

"We _all_ are, and that's why we'll stand by your side. Me _and_ your ethnically diverse friends."

Ellie frowned, but her scowl faded away when her mother began to cough more violently.

"Ellie . . . I don't think I've done much right by you. I know it wasn't always easy to put up with me, and for that, I apologize. I wish I could have raised you better, but somehow, you turned out fine despite your embarrassment of a mother."

Ellie shook her head.

"No, Mom, you're not an embarrassment . . ."

The old spinosaur wheezed.

"In any case, you won't have to put up with me criticizing you and Alan anymore. I really do think you'll be happy together. You ought to get married someday, considering you have six children . . ."

Tears trickled down Ellie's cheeks. Her mother reached out and rested her paw on her shoulder.

"You have so much to live for, Ellie, and I must ask that you try not to feel too sad when I'm gone. There are people who need you more than I do, and you mustn't lament the time we shared, because you've made my life a happy one."

Ellie whimpered.

"I don't want you to go . . ."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not really. As long as you remember me, I'll always be with you . . . and if that fails, I'll haunt you so you won't forget!"

Ellie smiled a little, but it didn't last long.

"Mother . . . What do I do?"

"Same thing you always do: survive. You've grown so much in these past few years, Ellie, but even though you've changed, you're still the same. That's how it is with all of us, I suppose. I never thought in a million years that you'd convince Alan to start a family, nor that you'd tame wild dinosaurs by befriending them, seeing goodness where no one thought to look . . ."

She coughed.

"And you changed _me_ , Ellie. Not because I'm a dinosaur, I mean, but . . . Well, I think you get the idea."

Ellie wrapped her arms around her mother's snout.

"I can't imagine life without you."

"No, I suppose not. I've been here for you since you were born, but we always knew this day would come. The people who raise us, teach us, and share our love won't be around forever, but they don't _have_ to be. You may not know what your life will look like when I'm gone, Ellie, but I assure you, it will be filled with the same joy and sorrow as before. You are _strong_ , Ellie. Strong enough to go on without me. Your life doesn't have to end when mine does. You have friends and family, and though they may be gone someday as well, there will _always_ be someone who loves you, and who you love in return."

She shuddered.

"Oh . . ."

Ellie's eyes went wide.

"Mother?"

"No, it's okay, Ellie. This is how things are meant to be. I'm not sad, and _you_ shouldn't be, either. Thinking back to the time we've shared, I feel complete, and now I can move on. I have faith that you will do the same."

Ellie stared at her mother's paw, which was turning transparent.

"No! No, you're disappearing!"

The old spinosaur smiled with tears in her eyes.

"Don't forget me, my beautiful baby girl."

Moments later, Ellie was grabbing at empty air. Claire rushed forward to comfort her as she broke down in tears. The two women shared an embrace in the middle of a cold, empty clearing. Their tears merged and mingled in the dust. Ellie stood first.

"I have to protect them. I have to protect my family."

Claire remained on her knees for a moment before she remembered why she had come in the first place.

"Charlie . . ."

Ellie turned her head.

"What?"

"Charlie!" Claire repeated, suddenly full of energy, "You have to find Charlie! Alan said he's sick!"

She almost wished she hadn't told her, because she looked more broken than before.


	9. From Bad To Worse

Claire tailed Ellie as she raced across the sky. After an unsuccessful attempt at teleportation, they had been forced to make the journey the usual way, if what they were doing was even close to "usual". Ellie's inability to manipulate space was alarming, and Claire wondered if she was perhaps losing her magic along with everything she loved. If so, their situation was even direr than before. This starbearing god was their last hope, and she might be growing weak. If Ellie was lost, the world would be lost with her. And it was raining.

"Charlie's close!" Ellie shouted through the whistling gale.

Claire blinked as a raindrop hit her eye.

"You can track him?"

"Yes. My magic isn't completely useless."

Claire was about to comfort her, but Ellie's wings stiffened.

"Oh, no . . ."

"What?"

"He's fading!"

She shot down towards the island like a bullet, leaving Claire behind. She struggled to catch up.

"Ellie! . . . Ellie! . . ."

She felt selfish for asking her friend to slow down when her child was in the process of vanishing, but Claire wasn't doing so hot, herself. Her plates were not faring well in the storm, and her muscles were on fire. The jungle rippled in her double-vision. She wondered if she was too high to land properly.

"Ellie . . ."

Claire did a lopsided maneuver, then overcompensated for the dip. She rocked back and forth in the air, plates sputtering.

"No . . . No . . . Not now . . . Please . . ."

Her left side became paralyzed. She spiraled downwards, heart pounding like a jackhammer. For a moment, time seemed to slow down. Claire felt as though she was suspended in midair, petrified in a field of raindrops. She had read somewhere that motion was an illusion, and at any given time, an object's velocity was zero. What she perceived as life was just a series of freeze-frames arranged in a way that maintained the illusion of continuity. Really, she had no reason to be worried about falling, since she was frozen in each sliver of this descent. Maybe she could stay in one segment if she tried hard enough. Then she wouldn't have to worry about things to come.

For a moment, Claire thought that her wish had come true, because the island seemed to be getting farther away. Had she reversed time? In reality, she was looking at the sky. She had somehow managed to change her falling position to belly-up. There was no way of knowing when her life would end. She was ready to accept this, only she happened to hit something on her way down. Whatever she had collided with had the same tension as a drum skin, and made her bounce a little. Before she knew what was happening, she was snatched up by a set of black-tipped talons. She looked around dizzily, then turned her eyes to the sky. She could see the slender neck of a dragon directly above her.

"Elkay?"

"No, I'm Neithhotep. You're not entirely wrong, though, seeing how you hit my daughter on the way down. I was hoping to catch her, but I guess the universe doesn't care what I want."

Claire sighed.

"I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."

"Well, as much as I want to slap some sense into that girl, I couldn't let you die. You're one of the least terrible people I know."

"Thanks? . . ."

Claire's eyes went wide when she spotted Ellie through the canopy.

"Wait! Neithhotep! Set me down over there!"

"Where?"

"By Ellie! Hurry!"

The dragon made a loop, then glided down to where Claire was pointing. She lowered her to the ground with her tail, then departed without a goodbye. Claire ran over to her friend, who was kneeling beside Alan.

"Ellie!"

She did not reply. Claire skidded to a halt.

"Ellie? . . ."

"I didn't make it."

Claire felt her stomachs twist.

"Ellie . . ."

"He's gone. My baby's gone."

Claire closed her eyes and let her tail go limp.

"I'm sorry."

There was a long silence.

" _Are_ you?"

Claire lifted her head.

"What?"

Ellie stood up and turned to face her.

"Alan says he told you Charlie was sick right after I left. You were supposed to come get me. What _took_ you so long?"

Claire gulped.

"Ellie, I ran as fast as I could-"

She scoffed.

"I may not be narrating, Claire, but I can read just fine. How long did you plan to lie in the jungle? Was your moment of self-pity worth the life of my first child?"

Claire whimpered.

"Ellie, I'm sorry. I don't know what was going through my head-"

"I should have known this would happen. Here I was, hoping we could trust each other again, like the idiot I am. I was counting on your help, but you're still as self-destructive as ever."

Claire flinched as Ellie took a step towards her, spreading her wings.

"If it's not one thing, it's another. You couldn't handle being a dinosaur, then you couldn't accept being a less-than perfect mother, and now . . . now you're upset because you're old, is that it? Well, I've got news for you, Claire: I'm _older_ than you. Not only that, but I've been a dinosaur too, and I've had to deal with it for longer than you have. I'm a quarter-raptor because of my stupid grandmother, who decided to drag me into this story, just like you. The difference is that I don't complain about it. Yes, I'm old. Yes, I'm not fully human. I wasn't a perfect mother either, but I did my best. I did everything I could to make things right, and all I asked was that you do the same. Instead, you let yourself slip back into your selfish, ignorant ways, and I missed my last chance to see the person I loved most in the world. I've spent years and years trying to help you, even when you despised me. I saved you and your family countless times. Your daughter is alive and well because of me. You could have helped me save Charlie, like I saved Lily. But you didn't. I did everything within my power to save your daughter, yet you never thought to do the same for me. And do you want to know the worst part? You don't even appreciate what you have. If Lily wasn't your daughter, you wouldn't give a rat's ass about her."

Claire tossed her head.

"You're lying!"

"Am I, Claire? Who was the one who tried to smash her egg? Who was the one who lied to her her whole life? Who was the one who forced me to wipe her memories every time she learned the truth?"

Claire whimpered.

"Ellie, we've been through this . . ."

"Of course. That's why you shut me out of your life for so many years, just like everything else you're too cowardly to face. You seem perfectly content ignoring the fact that when I wiped your memory, you were disgusted by your own child."

"No!"

"You can't deny it, Claire. You thought that becoming a Stegoceratops was the worst thing to ever happen to you, but guess what? Without my story, you would have lived a sad, lonely life. Your vanity prevented you from loving the people closest to you. Those people made the same mistake I did: they had too much faith in you. Karen believed you'd be her sister again. Owen believed you'd give him a chance. They were willing to stand by you at all costs, but you never gave them the time of day, because they were beneath you."

Claire sobbed, plates shaking.

"I was wrong! I learned my lesson!"

Ellie shook her head.

"My child is gone because of you. No matter how much you see your friends suffer, you never put their needs before your own."

Claire fell to her knees.

"Ellie, I didn't mean to let this happen! You have to believe me!"

"No, I don't, Claire. I really don't. I've forgiven you for many things, but I will not allow you to take advantage of me again. You can tell yourself that it wasn't your fault, but I cannot forgive you for what you've done."

"Ellie . . ."

"You don't care that my heart is broken. You just want me to absolve you of guilt. I refuse. You deserve this. I hope you realize just how much grief your vanity has caused. Maybe it'll finally sink in this time."

Claire choked a little, then crawled towards her friend. Ellie changed into a raptor and screeched.

"GET OUT, YOU SELFISH COW!"

Claire wheeled around and galloped into the jungle, sobbing miserably. Alan reached for Ellie's hand, but she marched in the opposite direction, leaving him alone in the clearing.

***TSFEW***

Claire thundered across the island, feeling rain streak down her sides. She had not stopped crying since she escaped Ellie, and it was making her look like hell. She could feel her nostrils dripping. She could imagine her eyes turning red. She was one hundred percent aware that she was kicking up mud as she ran, and that the speckles would soon cover her sides entirely. For once, she didn't care. It didn't matter who saw her in this state: she was a disgusting creature, inside and out, and the world deserved to know. Ellie was right about her. She was a selfish, ungrateful cow that took advantage of the people who looked up to her. She no longer mourned the happiness that she had lost: she was beginning to doubt that she deserved any of it in the first place.

As she ran down the path, her vision became blurred by tears and rain. She thought she saw a familiar sign by the side of the road, but when she turned her head to get a better look, she ran into someone who had been standing in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason. Claire slipped and fell on her side. When she recovered from the shock of her accident, she stood up and limped over to the man she'd hit, praying that she hadn't killed him. He seemed to be alive and uninjured, but somehow, she didn't feel any better about running into him.

"Vic?"

He sat up.

"I'm okay. I'm fine."

She helped him to his feet.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

"I'm not very colorful. Just another disadvantage of being human, I guess."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not from the fall."

He flicked his hands and wiped the mud off his face. When he saw Claire's expression, he wrung his hands.

"Don't cry, Claire. It was an accident."

She sniffed.

"Are you saying I feel bad because I could have hurt you, or because I wouldn't want people to know I got into an accident?"

He blinked.

"I don't follow."

She sat down and wiped her snout with the back of her foot.

"I screwed up, Vic. I know it's not the first time, but . . . that's just the point. I've been making people miserable my whole life."

"Claire-"

"Don't say it, Vic. Don't tell me I've been easy to be around. I can't keep letting people convince me that what I'm doing is okay. I'm a monster."

"Claire, you're not-"

"I _am_ , Vic. That's a fact. Look at Owen. Do you know how much he gave up for me? He left his life behind just to make me happy, and did I even care? No. I just sat in my cabin felling sorry for myself because I was a dinosaur. Owen was willing to love me no matter what, but instead of accepting that and being happy, I kept wishing for my old body back. I wanted to be the Claire I was before. I kept telling myself that I'd never be loved if I was a Stegoceratops, but Owen loved me all along. The people who would have looked down on me were the people I wanted to impress, because I used to be one of them. I valued their respect more than Owen's, and do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I wanted more. More respect, more love, more _everything_. And I thought those people- those executives and CEOs- were better than Owen. I thought their opinions mattered more because of what they were. Somehow, I fooled myself into thinking that I had to abide by the rules of some made-up hierarchy, doing everything I thought society wanted in order to climb some lonely corporate ladder, but I never once thought about how fragile that happiness was . . . how fake. I could have been happy with Owen. I could have been happy from the start, and it could have lasted forever, and I wouldn't have had to worry about losing it all because of one mistake. I was so busy trying to attain perfection that I didn't realize I had already found the most spectacular thing of all. I was so, _so_ fortunate, Vic, to stumble upon something incredible, but I refused to be satisfied with it."

She pinched his head between her front feet.

"Tell me, Vic: how many people would stay with me as a big, green dinosaur?"

"I don't know? . . ."

"Me neither, but Owen did. He stayed with me for years, even though I treated him like shit, because he thought that it was his duty to make me feel better. Yes, I hated myself, but I could have put that aside and just loved Owen, couldn't I?"

"Maybe? . . ."

"And god, Vic, I was _so_ lucky. I found someone who loves me in every body, because he values _who_ I am over _what_ I am. He took care of me, did everything he could to make me happy . . . He _married_ me, Vic. Who marries a dinosaur?"

"Actually, a lot-"

She held him against her chest, silencing him.

"Vic, what kind of a person just accepts the fact that he's in love with a dinosaur? How can someone suck up their pride and have sex with a big, green animal because they genuinely don't care what people think?"

"Uh-"

"He put my needs before anyone else's. It's the exact opposite of what _I_ did. If Owen was a dinosaur, I wouldn't have sex with him."

Vic twisted his mouth.

"So, I guess that means you haven't slept with him in his new shape? I mean, I don't really want to know, but since you brought it up-"

Claire hummed noncommittally.

"Well, if I did, I only would have done it because I'm a dinosaur too, so it's no big deal."

Vic nodded.

"Alright. So what you're saying is you wouldn't want to sleep with him if you were human and he was a dinosaur? . . . Yeah, I don't think that would even work, mechanically speaking . . ."

Claire rumbled awkwardly.

"Actually . . ."

After a beat, Vic's eyes went wide.

"Oh my god . . . Please don't go into details . . ."

Claire frowned.

"I won't! That's our private business. Anyway, it doesn't matter _how_ we slept with each other: I am and always have been a selfish cow, which is why I could never put someone else's needs before my own."

Vic narrowed his eyes.

"Claire, besides the fact that I think of at least five examples of you being selfless, you just finished telling me how you're- um- _active_ with Owen as a dinosaur, which should mean that you love him unconditionally, if I'm following this conversation correctly . . ."

"It's more complicated than that."

"I think you're _making_ it more complicated than it needs to be. Christ, you've been married to the guy for twenty years! I don't think he stayed with you for no reason."

"He loves me. That's all."

"Yeah, but he doesn't just love you for the sake of loving you. I mean, come on, do you really think your friends and family like you ' _just because_ '? Clearly, they see something in you that you can't see in yourself."

"Like what?"

Vic laced his fingers together.

"Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I like you because you're nice to me. You were one of the first people who was willing to give me a second chance, even though I didn't deserve it. Since then, you've been one of the most accepting people on this island. I'm proud to call you my friend, because as far as women go, you're one of the kindest, most understanding, most thoughtful-"

She dropped him suddenly.

"You're right, Vic," she whispered with awe, "In order to be someone's friend, I have to _be_ a friend to them."

He spat out a mouthful of mud.

"Is that all you got out of this?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. Look, I'm not exactly sure what just happened, but right now, I have to help Ellie. She's counting on me, and even though I failed her, I'm not going to give up. I will never stop trying to do all the good I can, as long as I'm still breathing."

He gave her a thumbs-up.

"Great. Go do whatever it is you have to do."

Claire thundered away, but turned around at the last moment. She changed into a human, removed the coat she had been wearing, and draped it over Vic's shoulders. Then, she changed back into her dinosaur self and headed for the Visitors' Center.

***TSFEW***

Suspended in a dark vortex that filled her office, Ellie stared ahead: focused, but not looking at anything in particular. Shadows circled her like dark serpents, cutting through the air without making a sound. She could feel her anger consuming her, evolving into hate. The people she trusted had betrayed her. They turned on her without warning, and seemed to feel no remorse for doing so. If her friends could not be trusted, no one was truly on her side. There was nobody to rely on but herself. She could control her own actions, and use her strength to do what needed to be done. Being a god, she had no shortage of power. She could use it any way she wanted. It was her choice, after all. She had the right to express herself.

And right now, she was really, really angry.

***TSFEW***

Claire was out of breath by the time she reached the Visitors' Center, but she ignored the pain in her lungs in order to focus on what needed to be done. She had so many things to say to Ellie, but she wasn't one hundred percent confident that she could organize her thoughts in a way that made sense. That was fine. As long as she could make Ellie understand the gist of what she was getting at, she'd be doing her job.

On her way into the VC, Claire noticed a yellow tail dangling in the doorway. She touched it gently, and suddenly, a furious dragon dropped down from the roof, landing heavily in front of her.

"Leave me alone!"

Claire stumbled back outside.

"Elkay? I thought you left the island."

A forked tongue flicked out of her beak.

"Yeah, but I came back. It doesn't matter where I go: there's nothing I can do to change what's happening."

Claire sighed.

"I know it may feel that way, Elkay, but I just had an epiphany. When things go wrong, we're tempted to shut everything out, but there will always be people who depend on our support. We haven't lost until we accept failure, and that's entirely up to us."

Elkay rolled her eyes.

"Sure, sure. But what if you're destined to fail?"

"We choose our own destiny."

The dragon smirked.

"Fine talk, coming from a fictional character."

Claire frowned.

"Alright. Go ahead and mope, but I'm going to prove you wrong. Things are about to turn around: you'll see."

It was then that a pillar of smoke shot into the sky. When it reached its highest point, the head exploded, revealing Ellie. Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the color of her wings. Her ebony feathers trembled in the wind, which was beginning to stir. Elkay shrunk away in fear.

"This is not good . . ."

Consumed by darkness, Ellie had renounced all human morals. She was ready to unleash her wrath upon the island, destroying anyone in her path.

Her eyes fell on Claire.


	10. Fire

Claire watched in horror as Ellie began to crackle with dark energy. Elkay tried to hold back the worried Stegoceratops, but she had her heart set on apologizing. She stood her ground valiantly, feeling her heart hammering in her chest.

"Ellie! There's something I have to say!"

Elkay grabbed her by the tail.

"You stupid cow! You're not supposed to run _towards_ danger!"

Claire yanked her thagomizer out of her grasp, ignoring the comment.

"Ellie, I'm sorry for what I did. It's completely my fault! Let me make it up to you!"

Elkay squeaked.

"Claire, this isn't a missed dinner date. You can't reason with her."

"Please, Ellie," she continued, "Don't let it take you. I know I screwed up, but it's not worth it to throw your life away because of me. You're strong enough to fight it. I _know_ you are. Please, come back to me."

Ellie paused, and for a moment, Claire's heart fluttered with hope. Her plea, while not eloquent in the slightest, might be enough to prevent another breakdown. But the dark angel spread her wings suddenly, and a beam of dark electricity shot towards Claire. Elkay grabbed her and dove out of the way in the nick of time.

"Claire, I know you want to make things better, but the last time Ellie went darkwings, she crushed my skull, so we should maybe rethink our tactics."

Another bolt came crackling through the sky, and once again, Elkay leapt to the side with Claire in her paws. She batted her wings and carried her away, but the dinosaur reached for Ellie helplessly, like a child being snatched from her mother.

"Wait! Don't fly away! I need to talk to her."

"She's going to kill you, honey. We'll come back when she's feeling less murderous, okay?"

Claire was not happy with this arrangement. She gave a distressed moo and chomped down on Elkay's finger. When the dragon dropped her, howling in pain, she fluttered her plates and changed direction. She did not make it very far before her muscles seized up, and she tumbled to the ground like a wounded bird. Her head hit a branch on the way down. Hard. Her ears started ringing. In her double-vision, she could see Ellie flying into the distance. Was she trying to flee? If so, Claire might never get a chance to say what was on her mind.

"Meu!"

She let out a feeble moo, which she was sure Ellie couldn't hear. Still, she couldn't let her get away.

"MOO!" she declared, more firmly this time.

Ellie continued to soar into the distance, but when she reached Mount Sibo, she stopped in midair and hovered over the peak. There was a tense silence before she made her next move. When the earth began to shake, Claire decided it would be a good idea to stand . . . and run. There was a terrible screeching sound as the mountain began to spit glowing chunks of white-hot rocks, which made parabolas of smoke in the sky. Claire realized that one such stone was going to land near her, and did not know the direction she needed to run in order to escape it. She ended up standing in place as the rock slammed into the ground nearby, shooting dust through the air and making her fall over once more. Claire's ears rang louder than ever, but this time, the world around her was muted. She could hear the dull collisions of many more volcanic rocks. The noise made her head ache, though she perceived the sound as a distant echo, like the vibration of canoes rubbing against each other underwater. It was all so distant, so insignificant.

But when a glowing circle began to grow in the sky, Claire realized that if she did not move, she would end up as a pile of ash.

With a fearful trumpet, she reared up on her hind legs and leapt into the jungle, driven by primal, saurian fear. Her legs pumped rhythmically in a kind of harmony that would have been beautiful if she was not running for her life. As she crossed the island, several more fireballs collided with the earth, not close enough to hit her, but close enough to give her a fright. She was lucky to avoid direct impact, but that didn't stop her from feeling the heat. The whole jungle was getting hot, actually, and fiery patches of land became increasingly frequent as she traveled. At this rate, the island would be more soot than vegetation by the time she reached the shore, which she decided was her new destination.

On her way to the beach, Claire was joined by many dinosaurs, and a few people as well. The latter fell behind, and were soon out of sight, though she didn't turn to confirm their disappearance. Those who matched Claire's speed seemed just as panicked as she was, and briefly, she wondered if they knew that she had caused this whole mess. Obviously, she wasn't about to stop and ask.

She tensed up a little as a Gallimimus passed her, shrieking in a terrible dinosaur-wail. As the distance between them neared a yard or so, a flaming rock slammed into him, and Claire had to adjust her course to avoid the smoking crater. She considered stopping to see if there was anything to be done to save him, but with the way he'd been hit, there was no chance of survival. She'd have to leave him and anyone else who was unfortunate enough to be struck by the fireballs.

For every dinosaur that was picked off, two more joined the stampede. Everyone seemed to be headed in the same direction, and when Claire turned, she saw the most obvious explanation for this migration. Aside from spewing rocks, the peak of Mount Sibo had begun to glow with lava. The molten mass had reached the jungle some time ago, she estimated, judging by the flames leaping across trees in the distance. This damage, she realized, would probably destroy the entire island and everyone on it, and since Ellie didn't seem to be in a talking mood, there was no stopping the disaster. The only course of action was to rescue as many people as possible, and leave the island to burn under the wrath of the dark queen. This was the stuff of nightmares.

"CLAIRE!"

Elkay spiraled towards her, flying at her side as she ran.

"Remember when I said we passed the initial incident? I think I may have been wr-"

She screeched as a rock hit her head. Claire looked over her shoulder. Miraculously, the dragon had survived.

Elkay wasn't the only familiar face to join the frenzy. Vic came tumbling into the scene, eyes wild.

"Claire!"

She slowed down.

"Vic! Climb on my back!"

He reached for her, but noticing an approaching fireball, pushed her over instead. His arm was struck by the stone, and he fell on his side, clutching the affected area. Claire smelled burning flesh.

"Vic!"

"I'm okay!" he winced, "Leave me and find the others!"

"No. Get on."

She knelt down, and he rolled onto her back reluctantly. She charged forward, keeping him pinched between her plates.

"I'll only slow you down, Claire. It's alright. I can find my own way back."

"Don't be stupid. I'm not leaving you."

He sucked air through his teeth as she jumped over a fallen log.

"I'm of no use to you. I have no family left, and my friends are disappearing. You should escape while you can."

"I'm escaping with you. You can't give up hope, Vic."

"It's affecting all of us."

"We can fight it if we stick together. I _know_ we can. Owen remembers my middle name. It's Kennedy."

"You only remember it because he told you . . ."

"Exactly. We have to rely on one another now."

She lowed in panic as the ground erupted in front of her, then swiveled to the side and kept moving.

"We only have each other. I'm not about to lose that."

"I'm not important."

"You're my friend."

"You have lots of friends. I'm old and useless."

"You're not useless, and you're not old."

"This stress is making me go grey."

There was a massive explosion behind them. It knocked Claire off her feet. Vic slipped from her side, rolling over a couple of times before lying on his back. She stood up on shaky legs and turned to see if he was okay.

"Vic?"

"I can't do this, Claire. I miss her so much. I'd rather just let it end."

"I won't let you, Vic. I mean it. We still need you. You're part of our family. Don't give up on us now."

He looked at her with wet eyes and hugged her front leg.

"Claire-"

"It's okay. I know what you're going to say."

"No, you don't. You don't know how much this means to me. I don't know if it's possible to make you understand. I have to try."

"Later. You can tell me when we're safe."

She pulled him onto her shoulders. He took a shaky breath.

"Claire, I need to tell you now."

"This isn't exactly the best time, Vic . . ."

"I know, but I feel . . . I feel _bad_ about this. If something happens-"

Another fireball landed nearby. Claire thundered forward.

"It won't come to that. Hang on."

She continued her charge, ignoring the branches that swiped her face. A vine caught her around the neck, and she was choked for a moment as she struggled to break through. She gave up on using brute force, untangling herself instead, and wove through the jungle, which was growing hotter and hotter. She could see her shadow running far ahead of her, as the fire had drawn near enough to light her back. The night was aglow with embers and flickering flames, and the smell made her heart seize up.

Then, she skidded to a halt. She had reached the edge of the island, but it was not a beach. The terrain ended abruptly in a series of sandy cliffs. It was a sheer drop.

Claire turned around, but found herself facing a wall of fire. It was closing in from both sides.

"Vic . . ."

"We're dead."

"No, Vic. We're going to be okay."

"We're trapped."

"Not necessarily."

"It was nice knowing you."

"Hang on."

"I'll try, but we're really done f-"

He did not fully grasp the meaning of her words until she took a running jump off the cliff. Her legs kicked at nothing as she tumbled through the air, and when she hit the water, she pierced the surface with a deafening thump. Winded from the belly-flop, she struggled to keep her head above water. Seeing Vic was in a similar predicament, she dog-paddled over to him and let him cling to her neck. They floated in place, then rotated slowly to take in the destruction that had swallowed up the island. Over the cliffs, peaks of flame rose into the sky, replacing the palms that had once stood tall. The two survivors trod water, hopeless eyes filled with fire.

"That was our home . . ." Vic whispered.

After a long pause, Claire took a deep breath.

"That wasn't our home, Vic. As long as we're together, we still have what matters."

They squinted as a white spotlight shone in their eyes. It was painfully bright, even compared to the fire. As the source of the beam drew near, Claire heard Owen's voice above the crashing waves. Somehow, he had managed to find a boat and sail it safely off the island. When Claire was pulled aboard, she saw Sarah and Vivian standing behind him. Near the rear of the boat was Yannick, and Robin was only a few paces away. The only other passenger was Alan, who was leaning over the edge of the boat, staring at the peak of Mount Sibo. Claire lumbered up to him, still dripping with seawater, and lowered her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

He closed his eyes.

"This wasn't your fault."

"I-"

She forgot whatever it was she meant to say when Vic began to cough. Owen examined his bleeding arm in the firelight.

"Shit . . ."

"Is it bad?" Vic gulped.

"Well, it's not good, but if we treat it, you should be fine. It's gonna leave a helluva scar, though. How did this happen?"

Claire stepped forward.

"He pushed me out of the way when one of the rocks was about to hit me. He saved my life."

Vic gave a half-smile.

"I don't think so. You would have survived. I mean, I'm doing okay, and I'm _tiny_ compared to you."

After a beat, his eyes went wide.

"I didn't mean-"

Claire put her front foot over his mouth.

"It's okay, Vic. I know what you meant."

He nodded.

"That reminds me: back there, I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate this. Not just you saving me, but everything. It's been over a decade, and I still haven't thanked you for what you've done. Not properly, anyway. I want to do it now, or I don't think I ever will."

Claire laughed.

"Vic, it's okay. I know how you feel."

"Yes, but I have to make sure you-"

His hand whipped up to the injury on his arm, and he fell to his knees, wincing in pain. Owen helped him up, then led him to the boat's cabin.

"Come on, Vic. We gotta get you fixed up."

"Should I come, too?" Claire offered.

"No. You need rest. This day hasn't been easy on any of us, but I think it's safe to say that you got the brunt of it."

"But Vic-"

"It's okay. You'll see him in the morning."

Claire turned to Vic with a worried frown, but he shook his head and smiled warmly.

"Don't worry about me. I'm tough. Besides, I'm not gonna let a little scratch get me down. We gotta stick together 'til the end, right?"

Claire beamed.

"Right. Thank you for not giving up on us."

"Thank you for not giving up on me."

He gave a final wink as Owen led him into the cabin. Claire dragged herself to the front of the boat and lay down. Although her emotions were racing and colliding in a confused tangle of sorrow, the gentle rocking of the boat made her realize just how tired she was. She stared at the flaming island for a moment before closing her eyes.

When she did, she fell asleep almost immediately.

***TSFEW***

Claire awoke in the early morning, when the sea was calm and the wind was gentle. The air was clouded with mist, so much so that it seemed as though there was nothing beyond the boat except a vast, white world of nothingness. Owen was sitting on the front railing of the vessel, staring at the water with his back turned to her. Claire exhaled calmly and stood up.

"How's Vic?"

"He's dead."

Claire felt the mist seep into her, turning her blood to ice. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she tried to make sense of his statement.

"No . . . No! He couldn't have died! He wasn't hurt badly! It was just his arm!"

Owen had not turned to look at her.

"It started off that way, but it got worse. Whatever happened to Zara happened to him, too. We tried to stop it. We failed."

Claire felt tears pricking in her eyes.

"Owen-"

"He went a little crazy near the end, but for a moment, he came back to us. He called out for you, and when we told him you were sleeping, he said that we shouldn't bother getting you."

Claire sobbed. As she collapsed and covered her face with her front feet, Owen turned a little.

"He told us not to bother because . . . you knew. He said that he'd be gone any second, and it wouldn't be wise to waste that time. He made me promise to tell you that he was sure you knew what he wanted to say, and that he was happy about that. Then, he died."

Claire choked.

"So, he's just . . . gone?"

Owen nodded.

"No matter how much you love someone, it's not enough to keep them around. They'll die when their time comes, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"But it's so unfair . . ."

"I know. I've been thinking about it, though, and Vic's death was a good one. He knew how much we cared about him. He was at peace. Now, he can be with Zara again . . . if you believe in that stuff."

Claire wiped away a tear.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

Owen slid down from the railing and walked over to her. He nestled himself in her arms and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Believe in _us_. Believe in the people we love. We may not be around forever, but while we are, we're here for you."

She closed her eyes and nodded.


	11. Forming A Plan

One by one, the passengers awoke and climbed up to the deck, where Claire and Owen were waiting. Through the night, they had taken turns steering the vessel, never straying too far from the island. Somehow, they knew there was no refuge on the mainland, or anywhere else beyond Nublar. When a beach was in sight, they sailed towards it. As they approached the shore, feathers of ash mingled with the mist, and the smell of soot filled their noses. The boat slid ashore with a deep hiss. Claire was the first to step down.

The majority of the island, or at least the parts they could see, had been leveled, and the grey fluff that covered the ground was broken only by jagged, charred wood that stuck up in spikes. Nothing was burning anymore, but there was still a sickening heat in the air. As the group migrated into what had formerly been a jungle, Alan wandered away, taking in the destruction with wide eyes.

"What have you done, Ellie? What have you done?"

Vivian stood beside him and touched his arm.

"It wasn't her. Not really."

Alan gulped.

"No, you're right. She'd never let this happen to our island. Not again."

Claire wasn't listening to their conversation. She had lifted her foot to examine the ash that covered it. The powder fell away in clumps, dissolving into cloudy pillars before reaching the ground. Owen put his hand on her shoulder.

"This wasn't your fault either, Claire."

She gazed at him with foggy eyes, but snapped to attention as a yellow dragon landed in front of them. The smudged kohl around her eyes indicated that it was Neithhotep, not Elkay. Despite the steadiness of her voice, Claire could tell that she was no better off than anyone.

"I'm happy to see you survived. Unfortunately, my daughter did as well. She's waiting at the base of the volcano, or at least she was when I saw her last."

"Is it still erupting?" Claire asked weakly.

"I froze the lava," Neithhotep explained, "Ellie is still up there, but I haven't spoken to her. She's just sort of . . . waiting."

Claire closed her eyes.

"I have to speak with her."

"I strongly advise against it," Neithhotep muttered, "She seems to be cross with _you_ in particular."

"That's why I have to fix this. Let me talk to her. That's the only way things will get better."

"I'm in," Owen agreed, "I know there's a lot of shit going on right now, but if anyone can stop it, it's Ellie. We need to reason with her."

Neithhotep shook her head and spoke sharply.

"There is no reasoning with her. She is going to kill you as soon as you are in her line of sight. Our only hope is to neutralize her before attempting such things."

"How do you neutralize a god?" Sarah asked half-rhetorically.

"By taking away the source of her power. If we capture The Star, she won't be able to fight back. We'll have a shot at calming her down. Once she's back to normal, we can ask her to reverse the eruption, and we'll go back to our regularly scheduled apocalypse."

"And we can actually _do_ that?" Vivian snuffed, "Just _grab_ The Star like it's a rock or something?"

"The Star will not let this world go to ruin," Neithhotep said calmly, "If we are meant to have it- which we are- it'll be a simple task."

"Simple _in theory_ ," Yannick retorted, "But what if Ellie fights back?"

"She will, but we'll come up with a plan to distract her. Maybe Claire can attempt an apology to get her attention for a little while. That way, we get to execute both of our plans. Everybody wins."

"Not Ellie," Robin whispered.

"She'll be back to normal," Neithhotep assured her, "She'll thank us when she comes to her senses."

Alan stepped between them.

"No. This isn't happening. We're not talking about some _monster_ , here. This is Ellie. We can't deceive her or work against her. She's not the enemy."

Neithhotep sneered.

"With all due respect, Alan, we are standing in the middle of a wasteland she created," the dragon replied coldly, "I'm no happier about this than you are, especially since I was hoping she would be the Queen my daughter wasn't, but let's face the facts: Ellie's been compromised. All we can do now is try our best to win her back, but if I have to choose between her and the world, I'm choosing the world."

Claire stomped her foot.

"Enough, Neith. This isn't about choosing. We're here to help Ellie, not attack her. She isn't a monster. She's just Ellie."

"Ellie would not try to murder you. That _thing_ up there did. If Ellie's somewhere inside that creature, we'll save her, but you can't sacrifice the world's safety for one person."

Alan turned sharply and marched away.

"I'll have no part in this."

"Fine," Neithhotep hummed, "Everyone else, brainstorm ideas on how to improve our plan."

Robin raised her paw.

"I can give the signal when she looks vulnerable. I mean, she's bound to take a break between shooting laser beams or whatever."

Neithhotep nodded.

"Good. Yannick can help you."

"WHAT?" Robin barked, "Why _him_?"

"Aren't you two married?"

"Divorced."

"Alright. In that case, Robin can give the signal, and Yannick can make sure Ellie doesn't come after me when I grab The Star."

"Why do _you_ get the easy job?" Yannick pouted.

"It's _not_ the easy job," Neithhotep snapped, "In all likelihood, Ellie won't be able to fight back once I have The Star, so aside from her wings, she'll have no advantage over us."

Yannick rubbed his chin.

"If she flies away, how am I supposed to catch her?"

"Be quick. Even if you can't, it's no big deal. All that matters is that I get The Star, and I'm agile enough to do so without much fuss, I promise you that. There will be a good amount of distance between us after the grab if I swoop down at a high speed, and she'll be too stunned to take off right away, I imagine."

Claire frowned.

"Wait a minute. If you take The Star, what's to say you won't try to use it for your own purposes?"

"Same reason I wouldn't steal your phone: only _you_ know the password."

"Does The Star have a password?" Owen wondered.

"No, but it's designed for one user, that's my point," Neithhotep replied impatiently.

"What if you hack it?" he pressed.

"You can't 'hack' The Star!" Neithhotep spat.

"Then how is it like a phone?"

Neithhotep slapped her forehead.

"You're missing the point. I can't use The Star unless it chooses me as Queen. It didn't, and I don't think it ever will, so thank you for pouring salt in that wound!" she hissed testily.

Claire sighed.

"Neith, we're just being careful. We've already had one friend turn on us. Two, counting Elkay."

"She was never your friend. I tried to warn you, but- Look, forget it. This is about Ellie. Let's keep this plan simple, okay? Claire and Owen will distract her while I circle above, and when the time is right, Robin will give a shout, I'll make a dive and take The Star, and Yannick will jump in and neutralize Ellie. Easy."

" _Not_ easy," Claire argued, "What if Ellie hears the signal and realizes what we're up to?"

Sarah gave a little salute.

"I can help with that. Vivian, too. We'll run in and pretend to be after The Star, and she'll attack us instead of Neith."

"What if someone gets hurt?" Robin asked fearfully.

"We'll be careful," Sarah laughed casually, "Besides, we're a team. As long as we work together, nothing can stand in our way."

"Always the optimist," Owen muttered, "But this isn't a game. If we fail, the consequences are very real."

Sarah gestured to the grey landscape.

"I think we've passed that point already. All we have to lose is each other, and if we cooperate, we might be able to turn this around. Ellie is the only person who has the power to fix this. Not just the island, but everything. We've _all_ been affected by the disaster. We've lost friends and family . . . I lost my daughter. But we can get them back: I know it. Since I came here, I've seen dragons, fairies, magic . . . I'm starting to think that the Impossible is just a term for feats that haven't been accomplished yet. Nothing is un-fixable. We just need to have a little faith in each other."

The group nodded. After a pause, Neithhotep sighed.

"You're mostly right, but if this mission turns sour, there's another option. I know it's not something we'd like to discuss, and I feel sick thinking about it, but we may have no other choice. If Ellie is truly lost to us, we need a new ruler. The Star may be unwilling to choose a replacement as long as she's alive."

Silence. Claire lifted her head with a determined frown.

"You're right, Neithhotep. It's _not_ something we should be discussing."

***TSFEW***

Elkay made a few rounds of the island before coming to the conclusion that it would be futile to assist any potential survivors. Besides the fact that they would most likely have no interest in accepting her help, she now knew that their lives didn't matter in the slightest. It was time to grow up and abandon this dismal world . . . not that her departure would solve anything. She was as phony as anyone else on this godforsaken island, and there was no refuge from the inevitable destruction of all that she loved.

But a grey speck in the middle of the ocean caught her eye, and she was drawn to it like a meteor circling the moon. She was aware that it was foolish to allow her curiosity to outweigh her apathy, but neither emotion would amount to anything in the long run, so she figured it couldn't hurt to investigate.

As she drew near, she realized that the speck was, in fact, the top of a submarine, which was stationed a few miles from the island. She attempted to determine the vessel's origins with magic, but she was confronted with the unmistakeable sensation of being blocked. In a funny kind of way, this block managed to tell her all she needed to know: that being that whoever was on the vessel was using Asterparan Magic against her, and therefore had sinister intentions. The proximity of the ship to Isla Nublar was another giveaway, but a part of her still wondered if she was trying to accept a comforting lie. Either the passenger (passengers?) of the submarine were playing mind-games with her, or the world she knew really _was_ a fabrication (a fabrication beyond her control, to be specific). She didn't want to look like an idiot for trusting in the significance of her Universe, but on the other hand, even if she was wrong, she'd vanish along with everything else, and no one would be able to witness her mistake. If she was already being duped, she would undoubtedly look like a moron for letting this destruction take place, and the survivors would remember her as a screw-up. Really, it was safest to put faith in her own existence.

It was simply a matter of logic.


	12. The Happy One

It took a long time to scale Mount Sibo, which was both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, it would be better to execute the plan as soon as possible, but Claire in particular wasn't exactly up to the task. She had volunteered to take part, yes, but she wasn't a huge fan of the scheme and what it entailed. Specifically, she was opposed to the idea of deceiving Ellie, and she _really_ didn't like the implication that the Starbearer might have to be killed if the plan went awry. Even in her corrupt state, Ellie was Claire's friend, and this whole endeavor felt like a betrayal of that relationship. Above all else, Claire was wary of the dishonesty inherent in Neithhotep's scheme, but she dared not argue with the dragon, who would certainly prevent her from taking action independent of the group. Claire would have to work with the others or give up her only chance to apologize to Ellie.

That was all she wanted, really: a chance to apologize. She was willing to mend the situation by any means necessary, even if it did not end well for her. Her original plan had been one of self-sacrifice, as a matter of fact. She had intended to confront Ellie alone, and if she did not accept the apology, Claire would serve as the means of release for her anger. Maybe once the Queen had had her revenge, she'd go back to normal. It was a pretty big risk, but Claire wouldn't be able to pull it off, anyway. After Owen had volunteered for the job, she knew she couldn't go through with a suicide mission. In order to die, she needed to forget about her husband, and her daughters also. She knew how devastated they'd be if she left them, and the thought made her reconsider her total acceptance of a bleak outcome. Then again, if her death was enough to make Ellie snap out of her darkwings state, she might be helping her family by letting go, in the long run.

Claire pondered these ominous thoughts and more as she climbed Mount Sibo's blackened terrain. The rivers of lava had become solid, just as Neithhotep said, and in doing so, they had become a nuisance for the group. The brittle rock formations crumbled beneath Claire's feet, and she found herself stumbling in random places. It was a challenge to navigate this unfamiliar matter at first, but she became an expert halfway up the slope, and used the little details she learned to distract herself from the task at hand. The larger clumps were still hot inside, for example, and methodically steering clear of these clusters was the key to avoiding uncomfortable speculation regarding what would eventually transpire at the volcano's peak. Even so, it was hard to forget that she might be forced to watch her friend die. Her discomfort didn't go unnoticed. Owen jogged up to her and put his hand on her frill.

"Hey. Don't worry. You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

Claire sighed.

"You say that, but what if this gets out of hand? Our plan isn't exactly airtight."

"You won't have to kill her."

Claire shuddered. She knew that that was what she feared most, but hearing it out loud made it ten times worse.

"That's the last thing I want, but somehow, I feel like it'll come down to that."

"You're just afraid. We _all_ are. Even me."

Claire turned her eyes to the vast span of ash that had once been Isla Nublar. Smog still lingered over the land, but through it, Claire could see the ocean.

"She did this. Ellie did this. Is Neithhotep telling the truth? Is she really gone?"

Owen rubbed her horn.

"No. She's still good inside, no matter what Neith says, and if anyone can bring that goodness out, it's you."

Claire whimpered.

"That's not true. I'm going to mess it up, just like last time."

Owen lifted her chin so that he could give her a kiss.

"Don't talk like that. You'll be fine."

Their faces were lit by a flash that came from Neithhotep's direction. She blew fire from her nostrils, lighting the dark clouds that circled above. Claire gulped.

"That's the first signal. We're getting close."

Owen nodded and mounted her solemnly, clinging to her frill more tenderly than she expected. The two allosaurs passed them, whispering furiously at each other. Owen clicked his tongue to get their attention.

"Hey. You two ready?"

The dinosaurs shot him furious glares, annoyed that he had interrupted their argument. Sarah chuckled and elbowed him lightly as they stomped away.

"Even if _they_ aren't, _we_ are. Right, Vivian?"

The hybrid hadrosaur gave a sarcastic puff.

"Whatever. Let's get this over with."

The three teams went their separate ways as Neith circled above. Claire and Owen moved slower than the rest. It was deathly silent until Claire spoke out of the blue.

"If anything happens-"

"Nothing will happen."

She stared ahead with reluctance in her eyes. Owen patted her neck.

"It's going to be okay. I'd wish you good luck, but you don't need it."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Alright. Here goes nothing."

She flittered her plates and soared towards the peak of the mountain. This time, she would not let herself grow tired. The fear alone was enough to keep her going, even if her muscles weren't up to the task. When they reached the peak, however, her hesitance was replaced with confusion. The tip of the volcano was completely sealed, and Ellie was nowhere to be found.

"Where-"

Suddenly, Ellie appeared out of thin air, and when she did, she shot a fireball at Claire. She did a barrel roll, but the flames singed her side. Owen batted his pant leg, which had caught fire.

"Shit! She seems angry!"

"Shush! That was just a warning!" Claire snapped.

Before Owen could protest, she spun around, facing Ellie as she hovered in place.

"Ellie, I came here to apologize!"

She shot another fireball, which Claire dodged.

"I know you're mad, and you have every right to be, but-"

She dove to the left as Ellie threw a bright beam of something Claire couldn't identify.

"-you shouldn't take your anger out on Isla Nublar. This is your home. You _love_ this island!"

Ellie screeched and spread her wings, prepared to get a closer shot if the Stegoceratops made a break for it. Claire landed, realizing that the plan wouldn't work as well if Ellie was a moving target.

"Please . . . Come back to us."

Ellie beat her wings twice before touching down. She stalked towards Claire with cold eyes.

"You don't care about my suffering. You're just afraid. For twenty years, you've seen me struggle, and you didn't bat an eye. It's only when I give a show of force that you notice me."

Claire sniffled.

"Ellie, please! I'm your friend!"

Claire took off again, fluttering her plates in panic as Ellie attacked once more. Three fireballs came dangerously close to striking her, but never hit the mark. It was possible that Ellie was trying to find a way to separate her from Owen so that she wouldn't kill them both.

As she rose, Claire noticed an alarming sight. Yannick and Robin were bickering behind a boulder. She couldn't read their dinosaur-lips, but the expressions on their faces were furious, and they clearly weren't paying attention to Ellie.

Too late, Claire realized that she had been staring at the two of them for longer than she should have. Ellie turned to see what she was looking at, but suddenly, Elkay came tumbling down from the sky, drawing her attention away from the boulder. At first, Claire thought that Neithhotep had spied the trouble below and made her move, but there was no mistaking the younger dragon's clumsy flapping.

"Ellie, there's something I have to tell you!"

"Not now. This is between me and Claire."

"But it's important!"

"I need to finish this."

Elkay sighed impatiently.

"Fine. How can I help?"

"Hold her still and get rid of Owen."

Elkay glanced at Claire briefly.

"And if I do, you'll kill her?"

"Yes."

"You could just kill her now."

"Are you going to hold her or not?!" Ellie snapped.

The dragon didn't get a chance to reply, for Yannick had infuriated Robin to such a degree that she let out a roar of frustration. Claire gasped as Neithhotep began her dive.

"Wait, that wasn't the signal!"

She covered her mouth as Ellie whipped around furiously.

"You're trying to take me down!"

Claire shook her head.

"No, Ellie, please, you don't understand!"

Ellie launched a fizzling orb at Neithhotep, who spiraled out of the sky as it exploded against her chest.

"I understand perfectly," Ellie snarled, indifferent to the injured dragon, "For a second, you had me believing that you actually cared."

Claire gulped.

"Wait, let me explain! This isn't what it looks like!"

Owen peeked over her frill.

"She's telling the truth, Ellie! It was Neith's id-"

He shouted in pain as Ellie grabbed him in a crackling beam of electricity and pulled him off Claire's back. A few seconds after he landed on the volcano's surface, he attempted to get up, but Ellie held him down with glowing strands of energy.

"You've made your last mistake, Claire," she growled, "You will serve as an example to these traitors."

She turned to face the boulder, where Robin and Yannick were cowering with fear.

"From this point on, any attempt to interfere with my actions will result in your immediate execution. If our friendship means nothing to you, it means nothing to me, either."

She turned back to Claire, who had landed on the volcano to free Owen. When Ellie's gaze fell upon her, she froze in place (of her own volition).

"You're too selfish to understand, but once you're gone, everyone will be better off. I wish I had realized what was bringing me down all these years. If I had known, I would have rid myself of you sooner."

Claire did not move. She stared up at Ellie with wide eyes, yet even in this state of terror, she was ready to accept her fate. Although she trembled, she did not attempt to flee. Part of her wanted to face her end with calm dignity, but she was powerless to control her knocking knees and quivering beak. Owen reached out for her, arm still entwined in writhing tendons of energy.

"RUN!"

Claire didn't face him. She was like a deer in the headlights, only a lot rounder in shape, as she had curled the rear section of her body in submission.

"RUN, CLAIRE!" Owen shouted hoarsely.

As Ellie lifted her hand to finish the job, there was a valiant cry from across the volcano's peak. Vivian charged forward to challenge Ellie, but was knocked off her feet by an invisible force. As she gasped in pain, winded by the blow, Ellie floated forward, fists crackling with electricity.

"I warned you. I hope it was worth trading your life for a delay in Claire's execution . . ."

Sarah skittered over the side of the mountain, shielding Vivian with her body.

"Don't hurt her! She was just trying to save her friend!"

"The only way to save _anyone_ is by terminating Claire."

"No!" Sarah wailed, "Killing won't solve anything!"

Claire trumpeted to get Ellie's attention.

"Don't hurt Vivian! She didn't know what she was doing!"

Ellie sneered.

"You speak in lies, and lies alone. I have no reason to trust you . . . or her."

Sarah and Vivian were torn apart by a magic wind, which Ellie directed with a sweeping gesture. The former went flying through the air, while the latter rolled onto her side, exposed and immobilized.

"I spare only the innocent."

Ellie's attack was once again interrupted when Sarah gave a surprised shout. As she spiraled through the air, having not landed after Ellie's attack, some sort of reptile instinct took over, and she spread her arms and legs outward as far as they would go. This caused the baggy lines that ran down her sides to extend into thin stretches of leathery flesh, and when they caught the wind, she glided through the air like a flying squirrel. This newfound ability surprised her just as much as the others, but it wasn't long before her trademark confidence kicked in, and she steered herself with the expertise of a circus performer. She sliced through the air, turning on a dime, circling Ellie as Vivian stood up on shaky knees and stumbled away. Unfortunately, one of the hadrosaur's front legs slipped from beneath her, and she fell once again, attracting Ellie's attention with her pained scream. Sarah adjusted her course, but suddenly, she began to glow, and when the light disappeared, she was human. In this form, she managed to knock over Ellie, but she was now helpless (both anatomically and because of the crash). Luckily, Claire had taken this opportunity to dash forward and pin Ellie to the ground with her front feet. Sarah and Vivian wasted no time, leaning on each other as they stumbled away.

Claire turned Ellie over with her front foot. Clearly, it was possible to stun gods, for Ellie was visibly dazed from the attack. Claire reached for The Star, which hovered above her chest, but it suddenly sunk into her body. Ellie had snapped to attention, and was glaring at her with a familiar hatred.

And that's when Claire knew.

The disappearance of The Star meant that the plan had failed, and the last resort would have to be carried out to ensure the world's safety. The Starbearer was going to be killed, and she was going to be killed by Claire.

But Claire hesitated. She stared down at Ellie, and saw instead the face of Penumbra, whose eyes had burned just as fiercely before Claire drove her horns through them two years ago. She found herself reliving the night she had taken a life, and the horror consumed her. She felt every scale on her body pulsing with guilt and panic, throbbing in time to her heart, which seemed ready to burst. Quickly, she let go of Ellie, who flew away with crooked flaps, as Claire had accidentally torn a clump of feathers from her wings when she pinned her down. The plumes drifted across the soot, carried by a warm wind.

Although Claire's eyes remained fixed on Ellie, she did not register the fact that Neithhotep was pursuing her, nor that Elkay was tailing them both. Most importantly, she did not realize that she was still in danger until Owen sprinted over and shook her violently, pounding his fist against her side when she didn't respond.

"RUN, CLAIRE!"

Dark vines had begun to sprout from the volcano's crust, and were snaking towards her with sharp thorns and jagged leaves glistening like teeth. One plant circled her leg, and when she finally managed to tear herself away from it, her scales were bloody and raw. The vines split apart into multiple necks, slithering towards each member of the group as they fled down the side of the volcano. They seemed to be outrunning the creepers at first, but the plants suddenly burst through the sides of Mount Sibo along the path they were taking, growing in clumps and spreading exponentially.

The world was silent for Claire. She was shaken from her flashback, but the logical side of her brain was trying to insist that she had not repeated her murderous action with Ellie, and that was good. On the other hand, magic plants were scraping her sides, and she was probably about to die, not to mention the fact that her friends were in peril as well. Owen was running beside her, and she saw his mouth moving, so he must be speaking, but she heard nothing besides a steady ringing. She jumped when a vine caught Owen across the face, slashing his eye. He held the vertical gash closed with his right hand, blood pouring between his fingers, and Claire screamed, though she couldn't hear herself either. She did hear one noise, however, which sounded very much like a cooked turkey being pulled apart from the chest. Her face was inexplicably splattered with warm liquid, but she ignored it and scooped up Owen as he pulled a thin vine from his arm, wincing when the thorns raked his skin. He clung to her neck weakly, grimacing whenever his raw wounds made contact with her scales.

The rest of the scramble was a blur, until everything became bright and hot. Elkay swooped in front of Claire, spewing flames over the creepers, which withered away under the heat. No further attack came from that point on, and the group reached the bottom of the mountain, or at least a very flat part: Claire wasn't sure which. She panted and heaved, and Owen slipped from her face like a rag doll. He was bleeding all over, and seemed to be in a lot of pain, unsurprisingly. The others were no better off, marked by deep, red striations which dripped wavy lines of blood on their scales, painting them like tigers. The gang's weary forms split into foggy phantoms as Claire's vision doubled, and she looked around dizzily, taking note of their current situation.

"Are we okay? Did we make it?"

She blinked and turned in a three hundred and sixty degree loop.

"Someone's missing. Who's missing?"

Suddenly, Sarah screamed and threw her scarf to the ground.

"VIVIAN! IT'S VIVIAN, YOU STUPID BITCH! SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

Claire shrunk away, shocked and hurt. Rarely did Sarah lose her temper, and when she did, there was always an air of triviality to her tone. Right now, she was losing her mind.

"Vivian was the only honest person on this miserable rock! She told the truth, even when it hurt, but she never stopped caring. She saved your life, and you repaid her by running away as she was torn in half. You're a coward!"

Claire took a shaky breath.

"Sarah . . ."

She swatted her foot away as she reached for her.

"Don't patronize me! I've put up with your shit for years, never complaining once, because I knew that _someone_ had to be happy in this crazy group! You never stopped to think that maybe _I_ was as broken as the rest of you! Well, guess what? I've suffered just as much as the next person, only I'm not allowed to say it, because while you're sitting here, feeling sorry for yourselves, _I'm_ trying to keep us together. I get no thanks for what I do: in fact, I get the opposite. No one ever thinks to ask how _I'm_ feeling. You don't care about my pain. It's just happy, happy, happy, all the time! But Vivian tried to understand. She knew that I was living a lie to serve this ungrateful lot!"

Owen stood up, still holding his injured eye.

"Sarah, you should have told us . . ."

She scowled bitterly.

"Real friends don't have to tell. You should _know_. You should know without words. It's too late now. I've lost everything: my home, my daughter, my wife . . . and I'm not even a hybrid anymore."

Claire gulped.

"Sarah, I'm sorry, but-"

The words became caught in her throat when a disoriented woman emerged from the lingering smoke. She stumbled across the uneven terrain, staring at the sea of ash with wide, vacant eyes. Claire couldn't believe what she was seeing, and feared that her hypothesis would be proven wrong if spoken out loud, but Sarah was willing to take that risk.

"Vivian? . . ."

The girl looked up, clutching her head in pain. Sarah limped towards her with disbelief and awe.

"You're alive! You're human!"

Vivian staggered to the side.

"Of course I am. What else would I be?"

"Dead and a dinosaur?" Robin offered.

Vivian narrowed her eyes.

"I think I'm hallucinating. Is anyone else seeing a polka-dot reptile?"

Sarah approached her with worry.

"Vivian, don't you remember us?"

"I remember _you_ , and that man looks familiar . . ."

Sarah exhaled.

"Thank god. I'm glad you remember me. That's something, at least."

Vivian blinked.

"What's going on?"

Claire wrapped her tail around her ankle.

"You might have amnesia, Vivian."

Vivian gaped at Sarah, addressing her instead of the strange animal she apparently did not recognize.

"That dinosaur sounds like Claire."

"She _is_ Claire."

Vivian turned her attention to each member of the group, utterly dumbfounded.

"Is this a joke? Am I dreaming?"

Sarah shook her head and reached for Vivian's hand.

"No, this is real, Viv. I know it's confusing, but I promise, everything is going to be okay."

When their hands touched, Vivian pulled hers away. Sarah looked down and up, breathing a little more frantically.

"Vivian . . ."

"Look, I just want to go home."

"You _are_ home. This is where we live."

Vivian frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I barely know you, and I don't live in some smokey wasteland."

Tears brimmed in Sarah's eyes.

"No, that's not true! You know me!"

"I swear, I don't."

"You _have_ to!"

"Why?"

Sarah pulled Vivian forward for a kiss. They maintained contact for less than a second before Vivian pushed her away and wiped her mouth.

"What the hell is your problem?! You're disgusting!"

Sarah's mouth hung open. If she had something to say about the remark, she certainly wasn't capable of expressing it at the moment. Vivian glared at her and turned away bitterly.

"I'm outta here. Don't come after me, you freaks."

Sarah stood petrified as her wife departed, obviously fed up with the remaining fragments of her past life. When she had disappeared from sight, Sarah lowered her arms and dragged herself in the opposite direction, face turned away from her friends. Claire took a deep breath.

"Sarah . . ."

"No, it's okay," she whispered, "It's over."

She peeked over her shoulder to look at Claire, whose heart shattered at the sight of her tears.

"I'm sorry for calling you a bitch. I didn't mean it. Thank you for trying, even if it wasn't enough. I'm glad I got to believe, at least for a little while."

Claire watched her leave with a hanging jaw. Too late, she grabbed Sarah's discarded scarf in her beak, running after her in an attempt to bring her back. When she realized that her friend was gone for good, she returned to the group, dropping the scarf like a tired, old dog.

Looking at the faces of her friends, she realized that they were out of ideas too.


	13. Hope

After Sarah's departure, Claire just sort of sat in one place, like a polar bear who had grown tired of pacing its cage and simply given up on life. She was starting to realize that no matter what she did, it wouldn't matter in the grand plan. After all, she was not a god . . . or even magical in the slightest, come to think of it, aside from being a talking dinosaur. She did not breathe fire or electricity or ice, nor control rocks and trees and metal. She could not cast spells or make potions or do whatever it was that Asterparans did. She wasn't even that good at normal tasks. Claire was a simple Stegoceratops who had only accepted herself very recently, and did not feel equipped to face these impossible odds. Nobody did, in fact. Owen was just as scared as she was, she knew. Robin and Yannick would be terrified as well, if they could ever stop bickering and think about what was at stake. Claire didn't know where Neithhotep and Elkay had flown off to, but wherever they were, their abilities didn't seem like enough to fight Ellie, if their last performance was anything to go by. So there it was. No dinosaur nor dragon nor anyone alive was able to stand up to Ellie, and even if they could, they wouldn't want to. More specifically, _Claire_ wouldn't want to. She had had a chance to end it all, but she just couldn't murder one of her dearest friends, even if they didn't always see eye to eye. Of course, this particular situation was a million times worse than their last major feud, which was saying something. Claire didn't know how much more she could take.

But then Owen walked up to where she was moping and sat beside her, gently holding his legs together with his arms. He leaned to the side, more relaxed than he should be, and rested his head on her shoulder. Her muscles twitched a little beneath her scales.

"You'd think your body would be used to me by now," he quipped.

"Maybe it recognizes you. Maybe it's excited."

Owen quirked a brow.

"Not like _that_ , stupid," Claire grumbled.

She huffed and turned away, growling lightly. Owen smiled and draped himself over her neck.

"Has anyone ever told you that you act like a puppy when you're upset?"

Claire gave an indignant trumpet and rolled over, lying directly on top of her husband. For a moment, she worried that Ellie might have revoked the spell that stopped her from crushing Owen, but as she put her full weight on him, he simply grunted.

"God, you're huge. I mean that in a good way."

Claire scoffed.

"So there's 'more of me to love'? That kind of thing?"

"Sure. Plus, you're like a heated water mattress."

Claire snorted and adjusted herself so that her entire belly covered him. After a moment, she felt him speaking into her body fat, and stood up briefly.

"What?" she asked testily.

"I said that I'll suffocate if you keep doing that."

Claire frowned.

"Good."

And she sat back down. Owen's arms and legs were now splayed out, and after a few seconds, he began to tap her side frantically. She rolled over, and he remained stuck to her front, gasping for air.

"Claire, I know we're pretty much dead, but there's no need to kill me before Ellie does."

With a pensive expression, Claire stared up at the sky, though the dark angel was long gone.

"I don't think she'd kill you. Me, maybe, but she knows who's done right by her, and who hasn't."

He rubbed her chest comfortingly.

"Don't say those kinds of things. Ellie loved you until that little hiccup, and her mental problems are none of your concern."

"It's not mental problems: it's magical snake venom."

Owen blinked.

"Hey, do our problems ever seem _weird_ to you?"

"No, I think it's perfectly normal for a woman to turn into a big, green dinosaur."

"Point taken."

They sat in silence until Owen's face broke into a grin.

"Hey, remember when I was a rat?"

"As I recall, you were a _Jerboa_."

"Right you are! I still cough up hairballs, every now and then."

Claire winced.

"Jesus, I hope you're joking, because those definitely wouldn't be coming from me."

Owen laughed.

"You know I wouldn't cheat on you. Remember when you thought that I was seeing Tammy-Lynn?"

Claire nodded.

"Yeah. Back then, I hated the poor woman. I really miss her . . ."

"I know. I wonder what she'd think of all this."

"I might have to phone her up. I mean, we may as well, since the world is ending. Nobody's going to question a talking dinosaur."

Owen shrugged.

"We don't know if the Jurassic World World is coming to an end. But this is probably the end of Jurassic Park."

Claire swallowed.

"I hope not, but if it is, we might be able to salvage some scraps of the Park World by sheltering them in our own universe."

"Until Ellie comes for that, too."

Claire met his gaze with an anxious expression. He looked away, staring out at the sea, which was barely visible behind the toppled trees.

"You know, this is _our_ world as much as hers. We came close to catching her once, and we can do it again. Even if we're not the ones who restore balance, someone will. If enough people fight for their homeland, eventually, they'll win it back."

"Or they could all be massacred."

". . . That's a possibility, yes."

"Outstanding."

Owen rubbed her snout tenderly. She let her head sink to the ground.

"This is hopeless."

"Maybe," Owen admitted, "But we have to keep trying."

"Why?"

"Because that's what we do. It's what we've _always_ done. Flying to Cambodia, battling a demonic Spinosaurus, facing your secret mortal enemy, fleeing _another_ demonic dinosaur- we really seem to have a pattern going- anyway, doing all that, plus raising a child seemed impossible once, but we did it. We've accomplished many feats and overcome many obstacles, which may have at one point seemed like the end of the world. Maybe this is another one of those."

"We're literally up against God."

"And you once defeated a humongous monster using nothing but a pair of high-heeled shoes."

"Which time are you referring to, in particular?"

"The blue one. The Carnotaurus."

"Right."

After a beat, Claire chuckled lightly.

"God, I love our adventures. Don't get me wrong: they scar me emotionally, but they sure do make good stories . . ."

They fell backwards as Elkay landed between them, all rolled up like a cannonball.

"I'll say!" she laughed as she spread her wings and dusted herself off.

"So I guess this means you're back?" Owen guessed, "Any good news?"

Elkay's ears pricked up.

"Actually, yes. I think I know who's responsible for this."

"Who?" Claire pressed, suddenly full of energy.

The dragon lifted a claw.

"Actually, let me rephrase that. I know _where_ the people are who are behind this, and I can take you to them."

Claire's heart pounded in her chest. This one shred of hope was enough to make her feel like dancing.

"That's great! We'll gather the others. Where's your mom?"

Elkay shrugged.

"She's kinda sorta dying."

Claire and Owen exchanged a long, troubled look.

Surprisingly enough, Elkay wasn't joking.


	14. To Lead

They found Neith hanging out of the sea like a beached whale. Her wings were limp and soggy, and the water that rushed over them made a delicate slap, as though she were a dead fish being pushed repeatedly against a reef. Sand was gathering over one of the arches in her wing-skin, and Claire wondered if she'd be buried eventually. Probably not. In all likelihood, the laws of physics would not allow such a dainty creature to become submerged. Speaking from personal experience, Claire had let the waves suck sand from beneath her feet many times as a child, and never once had she sunk past her heels. Well, not as a human, anyway. Maybe now that she was heavy, she'd have to worry about quicksand like in those old dinosaur movies. That being said, she'd been a Stegoceratops for around twenty years, and never once had she faced such challenges.

As Claire's thoughts wandered, Neith's hand slipped from her chest and lay supinated in the sand, allowing blood to seep into the water in triangular tongues that became distorted under the tide's interference. The dragon lifted her head and spoke wearily.

"I tried as best I could, but it's up to you now."

Claire looked up with surprise. She feared that Neithhotep was speaking to her directly, and since she was looking into her eyes, that must be the case. So on top of everything, Claire now had to deal with being the involuntarily-elected leader of their gang of rebels, which appeared to be growing, at least. Dinosaurs that had survived the eruption and the events prior began to trickle out of the jungle, drawn to what should have been a private moment shared only by Neithhotep and her family. Not that she and Elkay were on good terms, but still.

"Is she gonna die?" a smallish dinosaur asked as he scuttled between Claire and Owen.

"I don't know," Claire admitted, "But we'd better give her some space."

"It's okay. I know her."

" _I've_ never met you . . ." Claire huffed.

"Yeah, so?"

"Let him stay," Elkay snapped, "We're all broken."

Claire batted her eyes.

"What?"

"We need each other."

"But we don't even _know_ him!"

"He's Chris. Chris the Troödon," Elkay affirmed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I thought the Troödon were gone," Robin argued.

"Nope."

"Where did he come from?" Claire pressed.

"Volatus Virus outbreak," the dinosaur replied sassily, "It made pretty much every theropod imaginable out of the infected humans. I thought you read the Wiki . . ."

Neith groaned, face dripping with wet sand. Her eyes rolled backwards, bloodshot and lacking their usual austere focus. Claire turned to the Troödon, and to a few Gallimimus and raptors that had begun to crowd the dying dragon.

"I'm sorry, but this is a personal matter."

"Yeah, no one's allowed but main characters!" Elkay barked.

She shooed them away with her tail, ignoring the fact that Claire seemed displeased with this brusque action.

"Off with you, now! You'll get your spinoffs eventually, if we make it out of this alive. You too, Bleaty."

A wool-covered Deinonychus frowned sourly.

"My name is Matt."

"Whatever."

When it was clear that the dinosaurs weren't keen to return, Elkay turned to her mother once more.

"Ya dead?"

"Not yet."

"Crap."

Neithhotep took a pained breath.

"There's something I need to tell you before I die. I know you thought I hated you, but the truth is . . ."

She groaned.

"Oh, I hate to say it, but I'm about to die, and I have nothing to lose."

Elkay's ears perked up a little.

"Yes? . . ."

Neithhotep sighed.

"I . . . I love you. You're my daughter, and I love you."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I love you. Why go on about it?"

Elkay smiled.

"Well, now I can save you, I suppose."

"WHAT?!"

Neithhotep gave a shudder, and the life returned to her visage. She stood up, spun around a couple of times, then glared at her daughter with contempt.

"Why the hell did you save me?"

"Because I knew it would humiliate you. You're welcome."

Claire stamped her foot, and although it made a dull thud in the sand, it got the dragons' attention.

"Excuse me, but first of all, you two are messed up. Second: Elkay, why did you use your magic to save your mother when our friends have been dropping like flies over the past few days?"

"It felt right."

"So saving other people didn't feel _right_ to you?" Claire gaped with disbelief and horror.

"I was saving my energy for something special."

"I thought you were omnipotent!" she cried, still dumbfounded.

"Nearly, but I became even farther from it ever since I gave up The Star."

"Your magic seems to be very inconsistent . . . almost conveniently so."

"And I find you to be an inconsistent creature as well, Claire," Elkay snuffed, "What dictates how much energy you'll spend in a day, or which endeavors consume it greatly? You appear to struggle with flight on most occasions, yet you seemed very energetic when you tried to murder my granddaughter."

"That wasn't the plan!"

Owen stepped between them.

"Guys, stop fighting."

Claire was about to argue, but she saw that his injured eye had become swollen, and there was a risk of infection. She turned to Elkay with desperation, suddenly aware of how pointless this feud was.

"Look, I won't question you anymore if you do me one favor."

"Why should I?"

"It's a small one, and I'm sure it won't be any trouble."

"What?"

"Heal Owen's eye."

Elkay nodded and made lines in the sand with her claws. Gradually, the wound closed. Owen ran his fingers over the smooth, scar-free skin and gaped in wonderment.

"Thank you, Claire . . . and Elkay."

" _I_ did most of the work," the dragon sneered, "Anyway, what was the point of that?"

Claire puffed hot air through her nostrils like a cow.

"He's my husband. I care about him."

"Awww," Robin gushed.

Neithhotep rolled her eyes.

"Well, now that everyone is feeling perky and proactive, why don't we face Ellie once more and remedy that?"

Elkay shook her head.

"No. Not Ellie. She has the power of the elements on her side. We must face the submarine people."

"Submarine people?" Claire echoed.

"There are people in a submarine just off our coast. They've retreated to where the world ends- Oh, the world is disintegrating around us, by the way. Our ocean is pouring over a ledge into nothingness like a giant waterfall. It's visually stunning."

"The _entire_ world is disappearing?" Claire gasped, "Is Lily okay?"

"Yup. She's fine. This affliction stems from Nublar, but it will spread over time. Your children- including Charlie, whom I notice you did not ask about- are far away from the destruction, but it will reach them eventually . . ."

Claire sobbed, then took a deep breath to calm herself.

"We need to go to this submarine."

"Yeah. I know."

"I wasn't talking to _you_ , Elkay: I'm telling the group."

"And who put _you_ in charge?"

Claire fell silent. Neithhotep stepped in to take advantage of her hesitance.

"We're going to the submarine to find out who's responsible for this, unless Elkay already knows."

"I don't."

"Alright. Let's do this, then."

Everyone followed Neithhotep, with the exception of Claire and Owen. They watched the others cross the land of ash, heading for the East Dock, apparently. Owen turned to his wife with tight lips.

"You know, I don't trust Neith as much as I trust you."

"Why not?"

"You took the time to heal me. You care about people."

Claire hummed.

"Well, leadership is about rising above humanity and looking at the bigger picture."

"Is it?"

When she didn't answer, he patted her frill.

"Don't ever doubt that you're a good leader, Claire. I'd follow you to the end of the Earth."

And he did exactly that, as within the hour, they had boarded a boat and sailed halfway across the remaining ocean, which as Elkay said, fell off the world with a frightening roar. The sight of the motionless submarine anchored so close to this sinister water feature was unnerving, and Claire felt her heart doing somersaults. Nevertheless, she kept her eyes fixed on the horizon.

"Here we go," she whispered to no one in particular.


	15. Vertigo, Part One

Claire, Owen, Robin, Yannick, Elkay, and Neithhotep reached the submarine, which up close dwarfed their boat. It was like an underwater yacht, not that Claire knew much about ocean vehicles. The conning tower (which Claire identified as "that sticking-out bit") was large enough for everyone to stand on, and given the wingspan of the dragons, this was an impressive feat. They gathered around a hatch, which was locked with a wheel-handle. Elkay leaned close, then looked around and gave a nod.

"Yup. This is a submarine, alright."

Neithhotep rolled her eyes.

"And you're sure this is where we'll find our answers?"

Elkay gave a slow, light nod.

"Of course. I sense Asterparan Magic."

"I wonder which child you pissed off _this_ time."

Elkay folded her ears.

"Hey, this isn't _my_ fault . . . or at least not exclusively. I may have upset many people in my life, offspring and otherwise, but _they're_ the ones who come after me in some sort of crazy vendetta. Why can't people just accept that I ruin things and move on? I mean, I've built up a reputation as a shitty person, so you'd think my kids would just cut their losses and try to live a normal life without me."

"Don't be daft," Neithhotep sneered, "You've screwed up your friends and family by mistreating them. You shaped them into monsters, and while I can't condone their actions, it's no surprise that they believe it's their divine duty to put an end to your shenanigans. If anything, they want to ensure that no one else suffers their fate."

Elkay snarled.

"And why do you think _I'm_ messed up? You blame me for the things I do, but you _raised_ me. Don't you think that has _something_ to do with my issues?"

"No. I feel like I'm the mother of a serial killer. No matter what I do, your personal craziness will be blamed on my parenting."

"You could at least _try_."

Claire thumped her tail on the metal beneath her.

"Let's not point fingers. We've all made mistakes, and our flaws are perhaps fatal, but right now, we have bigger issues to worry about."

"You're only saying that because you think you're the reason Ellie went nuts," Elkay hissed coldly.

Claire gave a quiet whine, but Owen faced the dragon on her behalf.

"With all due respect, we wouldn't even _be_ in this situation if it weren't for you. If you had left us to our own devices, we wouldn't so much as believe in dragons right now."

"Would you rather I _hadn't_ interfered? Would you rather be back in your crummy, old lives?"

Owen opened his mouth, but Claire held him back and gave him a reassuring look before turning to Elkay herself.

"What's done is done. We can sit here and speculate about what would have happened if we had chosen a different path, but it serves no purpose. Every timeline is filled with suffering, but it's also filled with joy. No sorrow is the end of the world. We will always be able to recover, no matter how much damage is done. In the grand scheme, our problems are small, and an event that destroys the life of one person might benefit another."

"Like Nine Eleven."

Claire's jaw dropped.

"What!"

Elkay shrugged.

"I'm just saying that statistically speaking, a fraction of people benefit from any tragedy. It's like the Titanic. Hundreds of people died, but James Cameron was able to solidify his status as a cash magnet. I mean, I'm not saying it was worth sinking the Titanic just to make a movie, and I regret doing it, but if it hadn't been that ship, something worse would have taken its place, because no one can avoid tragedy forever."

Claire stared at Elkay for ten seconds precisely. Then, she shook her head and turned away from her with a swish of her tail.

"You know what? I'm not even gonna ask."

Robin put her paws on her hips.

"I think the dragon is just trying to make excuses for being a jerk."

"I agree with Robin, but only by coincidence," Yannick added.

Neithhotep rattled her wings.

"Will it ever end? Look, let's just go in there, confront whoever's doing this, and hand over Elkay so we can move on with our lives."

"What?!" Elkay shrieked.

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Neith, we don't know for sure that it's Elkay they're after, and furthermore, we can't just give in. What if appeasing them leads to more destruction?"

Neithhotep held out her wing, gesturing to the burned island.

"I don't think there's such a thing as 'more destruction', given what's already transpired!"

"Things can always get worse," Owen muttered grimly.

"Neith, you can't just make decisions for us," Claire asserted.

The dragon tapped her beak in mock-reflection.

"That's funny, because it seems to me that no one else is stepping in, and this band of heroes needs a good leader. Feel free to take my place, but something tells me that the woman who let Ellie miss her child's death because of a mid-life crisis might not be the best choice of leader."

Robin raised her eyebrows.

"Is _that_ what happened?"

Claire glared at the dragon bitterly.

"Neith, you may think that Asterparans have it all figured out, because they're above us fictional characters, but don't forget that the simple state of godhood is enough to turn any of us to the dark side. It turned Elkay, it turned Ellie, and I'm positive it would turn you. You've been power hungry since the start, and I get the feeling that the only reason you're keeping us around is so that we can witness your upcoming triumph. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though you're only doing this because you never got to be a Queen."

Neith narrowed her eyes.

"Don't tell me why I'm doing this. What's _your_ reason, if you think I'm so selfish?"

"I'm doing this because my world is falling apart, and I want to save my friends. That's all. I'll follow you as long as this is accomplished, but I don't want to take a chance on you if you're willing to throw your own daughter under the bus."

Elkay stood by Claire's side.

"I know it may not seem like it, since I'm such an ass, but I do care about these people more than I care about myself. I don't want a title, and my reputation is already shit, but my Ellie is being manipulated by dark forces, and I'd very much like to get her back. On top of that, I've grown to care about the people we've lost. Vic, Zara, the raptors . . . they're my friends. Not close friends, but I wouldn't wish this suffering on them. Many years ago, we were able to save a good chunk of Nublarians from death, or something close to it, and I'm ready to do that again."

Neith smirked.

"That's a lie and you know it. You care about their roles in the story more than you care about them as people."

"If that were true, I wouldn't resurrect anyone, because nothing destroys the stakes of a narrative faster than the prospect that death is potentially undoable."

Robin grinned and covered her mouth.

"Oh, snap! . . . I think? . . ."

"In a weird way, I think you've been proven wrong," Owen agreed.

Neithhotep shot him a look, which was laced with worry. She suspected she was losing the argument, and adopted a stubborn mien to compensate.

"Be that as it may, I'm the most competent manager among us, and I should be the one to lead the charge."

"No one's arguing _that_ , mother," Elkay quipped, "But when this is over, don't expect a parade."

Neithhotep stared her down, then grabbed the hatch's handle and tore it off. The crumpled metal fell several yards away, making a big splash.

"Alright. Follow me."

The dragon slithered into the hole, and Claire was about to follow, but Elkay held her back gently.

"Hey. I know what you must think of me, but don't ever doubt that I'm on your side. If I've ever hurt you, I had a reason, and I know that sounds like abuser-talk, but I sincerely believe it. I don't like to see you in pain. The only reason I put you through tough situations is because I'm thrilled by how much sweeter it will be when you come out on top, better than before."

"That's both reassuring and deplorable," Claire said.

"I know. But if there's one thing you can count on, it's this: in a story I'm not narrating, I have no reason to directly harm you. All I want is to save Ellie."

"Good. That's exactly what we're going to do."

Claire climbed into the submarine. It was difficult to grip the metal ladder with her clumsy feet, but she dared not change into a human, for fear that she'd be stuck that way forever. Elkay followed, and when the group was all inside, they trooped behind Neithhotep in single file. The dragon's face was calm, but austere. If Claire didn't know any better, she'd swear that the self-appointed leader was on a much lighter quest. The way she marched down the hall made it look like she was about to punish some hooligans who had sprayed graffiti on her house, rather than face an evil power that threatened to destroy the world.

They came to a doorway that had . . . no door. Instead, a whispering pool of purple smoke spiraled in the entrance, turning slowly and menacingly. Neithhotep looked it over, then gave a curt nod.

"The ship's captain is on the other side. This spell will only let us through if we have been given permission, and by now, I'm sure the captain knows that we're on board. There's no telling what kind of magic will be used against us, and since you are mortal- with the exception of Elkay- I think it would be best if I went in first. I can handle myself, and I don't need you interfering with me, whatever happens."

"I'm sure that's what you said before Ellie shot you out of the sky, too," Elkay grumbled.

Claire took a deep breath.

"If you think you can handle this, you should be allowed to go first. All I ask is that you don't anger whoever's doing this."

Neithhotep scoffed.

"I won't, Claire, but just so you know, I wasn't asking permission, and certainly not from you. Don't forget who's in control, here."

Claire chose not to engage. Neithhotep snuffed, then turned to the passage.

"Alright. I'm going in. By the time this is over, you'll have no doubt who the true leader of this world should be."

She stepped through the smoke with her head held high. Not a second had passed before she came scurrying out, tail literally between her legs.

"Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope."

The group turned to see if she was joking, but she rounded the corner and did not return. Claire batted her eyes.

"Is she . . . gone?"

Elkay's ears suddenly gave the appearance of deflating.

"A force that scares my mother is not something I wanna mess with. But I'll do it. I'll do it for Ellie. Claire, lead the way."

She flinched.

"Why me?"

"Because I know you want to save Ellie as badly as I do, and that makes you a whole lot better than a cowardly dragon."

" _I'm_ afraid, too, you know . . ."

"But you won't run away."

Claire nodded.

"That's true. All the same, this is gonna be hard to stomach."

"You _do_ look kind of seasick."

"I'm always this color."

Claire took a deep breath and dug her heels into the floor.

"Alright. Let's go."

She led the procession into the room, but after a few paces, she slowed to a stop. She was not terrified by what she saw in front of her, but rather, confused. A perfectly ordinary man was standing with his hands behind his back, waiting for them to enter. Claire could not imagine why this had frightened Neithhotep so, and judging by the looks on the faces of her friends, she was not alone in this sentiment. The only one to react was Elkay, who gasped dramatically.

"Colin Trevorrow?!"

Claire wondered if this name should mean something to her, or if it was an Asterparan thing. Elkay's next question disproved the latter.

"But why was my mom so afraid of _you_?"

"Because I'm not Colin Trevorrow," the man replied.

Elkay groaned.

"Of _course_ not. Does he know you're impersonating him?"

"Yeah. We're cool."

"How?"

"He knows better than to argue with me, and I'm polite."

"Alright. Why?"

"Why in general, or to either portion of my last answer?"

"In general."

"I can answer the 'why' by revealing the 'who'."

"And _who_ are you?"

He changed his shape, and there were _two_ yellow dragons standing in the room, one male. This time, everyone gasped except for Elkay, who let her head drop all the way to the floor with a loud smack.

"Not again . . ."


	16. Vertigo, Part Two

Elkay groaned and pulled on her eyelids, letting them snap back into place after a second.

"Dad, why the hell are you impersonating Colin Trevorrow?"

The dragon shrugged.

"This universe needs fixing. I thought it was appropriate."

"He's not even directing the second Jurassic World!"

Her father laughed, showing his long, glistening teeth.

"This conspiracy goes so much deeper than you know. I'm only one player in our little game."

Claire batted her eyes innocently.

"Am I missing something, here?"

Elkay spread her wings.

"He's been de-canonizing my FanFiction!"

Owen blinked.

"What's a FanFiction?"

Elkay growled.

"Oh. My. God. I've told you a million times! It's that _thing_ we're in!"

Robin narrowed her eyes.

"You mean the story?"

"YES!"

"I've never been clear on how that works," Yannick admitted, "Who's telling the story, and how is writing different from narration?"

Elkay groaned with frustration, swishing her tail noisily.

"Narration is the non-dialogue portion of the text, and writing is the mechanic by which both narration and dialogue are created!"

"So who's telling the story?"

"WE DON'T KNOW YET!"

"And you never will," her father stated calmly, "If all goes well, you will not be seeing my associate for quite some time. Considering the virtually unhindered progress we've made on our undertaking until this point, I'd say that your story is pretty much gone for good, or at least it _will_ be, once the decanonizing process is complete. As far as narration is concerned, there can only be one."

He paused, then looked up.

"I don't think he got the pun."

Owen blinked.

"What?"

Elkay screeched and made claw-marks on the floor.

"He's talking about the narrator, you _stupid man_!"

Claire lowed angrily.

"Hey, leave him alone!"

"Why don't _you_?"

"What?"

"I don't know! I couldn't think of a good comeback! Pardon me for not being able to write clever things all the time!"

"Or ever," her father muttered under his breath.

Elkay sneered at him, and as she marched across the room, he backed away a little.

"You want to belittle what I do? Fine. You want to drag my name through the mud? Fine. You want to undo my hard work, make it so that everything I've accomplished simply disappears? Fine. You can do that. I'm not stopping you. I'm willing to let it all go, right here and right now. Do you want to know why?"

She leaned closer, whispering dangerously.

"Ellie. Ellie is why. Right now, my granddaughter is suffering, and I know for a fact that letting you go through with your plan will end that. So do it. Take away her wings and The Star, and put her back in Jurassic Park where she belongs."

Her father sucked air through his teeth slowly.

"Actually, that might be a problem. See, all things considered, when you look at it from an actuarial standpoint . . . I can't."

Elkay's eyes went wide beneath her furrowed brow.

"You're kidding me."

Her father smiled sadly.

"I wish I was, kiddo, but Ellie is too powerful, even for me. There's no stopping her destruction, and if any of us attempts to do so, it'll only make things worse. That's why my partner left me locked in this room with the sub set to explode."

Elkay's jaw dropped.

"EXPL-"

No one was quite sure what happened next. There was an impact, followed by a sudden influx of high-pressure water, which came from all angles, and the six of them tumbled through wetness and debris, colliding with hard and jagged objects occasionally. Yannick was pushed into a broken pipe in this turbulence, and a red cloud billowed around him in the water. Elkay's wing was pinned to the wall by a filing cabinet briefly before the vessel gave a deep groan and tilted in the opposite direction. As soon as she was free, Elkay pulled Owen out of the way by his shirt collar, for he was in the path of the same furniture that had been restraining her. Claire was floating nearby, and judging by the way she thrashed around, she had inhaled water instead of air at some point in the chaos. Owen saw this, and swam over to her in panic. Elkay held him back before he could reach her. When he beat against her fist in protest, she shook him still and pointed. Three flaps of skin were opening up on Claire's neck, and a reddish membrane was filling the space between her plates and tail spikes. She gradually stopped gasping, and it seemed like she was able to breathe normally, but this calmness wasn't long-lived. Elkay extended her neck and rammed her beak into Claire's chest, and this somehow caused her scales to bristle like a porcupine, at which point she expanded and began to rise. She floated through a hole in the ship, stunned by this newfound ability. Elkay snaked towards her, then pushed Owen against her chest so that he could grab on. He did, and they ascended towards the surface, where they clung to chunks of wood and other floating debris.

When she was sure that the two of them were safe, Elkay swam back into the hull, breathing water herself. Yannick and Robin had been swept into a now sealed room, which was slowly filling up with water. Before she could go after them, her father caught her by the arm and shook his head. She glared at him, but realized there was nothing she could do about their situation. The two dragons swam to the surface like water snakes.

Meanwhile, Robin and Yannick splashed around aimlessly in their confinement, hearts sinking with the ship. The room was more water than air now, and it was filling up fast. Robin spat out a cloud of seawater, then ran her hand over her face, which was no longer a snout.

"Shit! I'm human!"

Yannick coughed.

"Me too."

"Did this happen to the others?"

"Val changed into a raptor before she went feral."

"How is that relevant?"

"We're naturally humans!"

Robin blinked.

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting that we didn't start out as dinosaurs."

After a pause, she bit her lip guiltily.

"Who gets custody in heaven?"

"I don't know. I'm not even sure that's where we're going."

Robin trod water, then swam closer to him as the waves began to settle.

"Yannick?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"You may as well, since we're going to die in a few minutes."

She took a deep breath.

"This is what we were like when we hated each other. We were human."

"I guess so? . . ."

"But I don't hate you right now."

He frowned with confusion.

"You don't?"

"I don't. I really don't. I'm not sure why I ever wasted my time being mad at you."

He twisted his mouth.

"I don't understand."

"We're about to die. I've spent so much time hating you, and now it's turning out that those terrible years are going to be my last. I've been angry for so long . . ."

"Well, I _did_ divorce you."

"But I didn't have to hate you."

"We can't help the way we feel."

"Not always. There's no way of predicting the path of human emotion. Right now, for instance, I don't hate you. Not one bit."

Yannick stared into her eyes, remembering a time when he had looked forward to meeting her bright blue gaze. He took a deep breath and removed his hand from the wound on his torso.

"Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell _you_ something?"

"Sure."

"I love you, too."

She burst into tears and let him wrap his arms around her. They held onto each other even as the water reached the ceiling. They feared that once the life had seeped out of their limbs, they might be forced to part, but this never happened.

Instead, they continued to cling to one another, even as their bodies faded and eventually disappeared.


	17. Un-Darkwinged

Owen held Claire as she hawked up the remaining water in her lungs. The frillish membranes pulled back into her body, and when she was able to breathe air again, she looked the same as always. Elkay and her father arose from the ocean and spread their wings, treading water with them. The latter drifted to the side as his daughter approached the two surviving characters.

"And then there were four."

Claire sneered.

"Care to explain what happened back there?"

"Well, among other animals, you contain blowfish DNA-"

"That's not what I meant."

Elkay hummed.

"Ask my father, then. He's the one who killed off one of my favorites."

"What about Yannick?"

"Never really liked him."

Claire sighed.

"And that's all some of our lives will amount to, I suppose."

"Not yours, Claire. You're very well liked."

The dragon's father swam closer.

"I can confirm that. When I worked with your creator, he spoke fondly of you."

Elkay flattened her ears.

"I'll bet you two had a lot of fun while you plotted my imminent demise."

Her father smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, he didn't know about _that_. We were more concerned about your boyfriend . . . Zippy or whatever."

"Zebil. He's dead now."

"Oh, I know. Trust me: I know."

"Did he know about _you_?" she asked weakly.

". . . Yes. I guess that means he never told you, huh? I don't blame him. I think he might have been trying to protect you, in a way. It would be frustrating to know that I was within reach, but distant nonetheless."

"So why didn't you just come back?" Elkay mumbled.

"After leaving you alone for so long, I'm not sure any excuse I could have given you would be enough."

"I would have _preferred_ a bit of honesty, actually."

He shrugged.

"In hindsight, it was a bad idea. All this lying and sneaking about made it easy for me to be taken advantage of. Once a certain someone discovered that I could be persuaded to attack you with blackmail, it was all downhill from there."

"Will you tell me who's behind this?"

"I'm too scared. But know this: while I don't agree with your actions, I would have been fine with letting you write your silly stories. I mean, I considered intervening at some points, but once your mother got involved . . . you know. Anyway, I'm sorry to throw you under the bus and save myself, but I've always been a bit of a coward. It's nothing personal."

Elkay shook her head.

"I find your motivations weak and inconsistent, just like Mom. I guess that explains where I get it from."

He chuckled.

"Darling, you're a lot better off than us. At the very least, you're consistent in your inconsistency. Everything you do, you do for the story. Not _just_ the story, mind you, but the characters in it. I'm starting to suspect they're the only people you trust."

Elkay burst into tears.

"It's not easy, okay?! How am I supposed to have faith in humanity when real people are more fake than fictional ones? If I can't have real friends, why can't I just _make_ them?"

"Zebil was a real friend . . ."

"HE WAS A RAPIST!"

"Just once, though."

Elkay sobbed into her paws. Claire and Owen watched the two dragons uncertainly. After an awkward silence, Elkay's father bit his lower beak, eyes darting from side to side.

"Well, I'd better get going . . ."

"You DO that, Dad!" Elkay snarled, "It's what you're best at! Just leave me here like I don't matter! Why should you put the needs of your DAUGHTER before your own?!"

"Don't take it too hard, pumpkin. That's just the way I am. See you later . . . or not."

He beat his wings, then took off like a swan, running across the water before soaring away. Elkay hiccoughed and continued to weep, staring at her father as he became a yellow dot in the sky. Claire kicked her legs underwater, drifting closer to the dragon on the plank she was using to support her front half.

"Elkay-"

"He's been doing this from the start, Claire. The spells protecting him have been dismantled now. I can see everything. He's been so close all these years, but always out of reach."

"W-"

"He kidnapped Andrew Lloyd Webber, did you know that? He took his place, waiting for me to find him, but I never went looking."

"It wasn't your job to go after your father," Claire said quietly, "If he refused to return to you on his own, he's not a good father, plain and simple."

Elkay took a sharp breath, which initiated another series of sobs.

"Why are you defending me?"

"Because you shouldn't feel like his mistakes were your fault."

"I've made plenty of mistakes, myself."

"I know."

"I can't blame _him_ for those."

"No, you can't," she agreed, "The mistakes we make may be affected by other people, but in the end, we're the ones who have to take responsibility. No one should spend an eternity blaming others for a poor decision, no matter how justified they might be in their accusations. Above all else, we must find a way to correct our blunders."

Elkay sniffed.

"I admire your optimism, Claire, but the mistakes in _your_ life are either too small to be important, already fixed or on their way to being fixed, or a third option I haven't thought of because it's hard to make lists when you're upset. I've made so many mind-bogglingly terrible decisions that I'd never be able to catch up with them, even if I had the strength to try."

"But you should do what you can."

"I know. I've been making an effort. It may not always seem like it, but I really do want to make things right. I just can't un-sink the Titanic, that's all."

"You can't?"

"Well, I probably _can_ , but I _wouldn't_. Anyway, both my mother and father have left us, so I'm the only dragon in these here parts. What do you want me to do?"

It wasn't a sarcastic quip. It was an offer. Claire's mouth hung open.

"Really?"

"I'm all ears."

Claire thought about it.

"Well, speaking of mistakes, I sent Ellie into a fit of rage-"

"Just tell me what to do."

Claire sighed.

"I'd ask you to try and fix it, only I don't think you can, or you would have done so already. Ellie nearly killed your mother, and your father seems out of ideas, so is there any other option that comes to mind?"

Elkay sighed.

"Nothing that's guaranteed to give us a sure result. There's no clear way to solve this problem, but we can try, I guess."

"Then that's what we'll do."

Owen ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm no expert in therapy and mind-stuff, but it seems like we oughta be straightforward this time. Neithhotep's scheme didn't exactly go as planned, but even if it had, I don't think we'd have been any better off. I say we do what Claire intended from the start."

"Talk to her, you mean?" Elkay asked, one ear flicking upwards.

"Sure," Claire affirmed with a light nod, "I mean, we've got nothing to lose, right? I suspect she's going to be irritable after our last encounter, but I don't intend to ignore her entirely. This issue requires confrontation, not cowardice. We _have_ to face her . . . Where _is_ she, anyway?"

Elkay's ear twitched.

"She's in Asterpara, actually. You remember Tall Mountain, right? I keep forgetting if you have that memory or not."

"I have it. Go on."

Elkay made lines in the water with her claws.

"Tall Mountain is on an island near Pallasmaa. It's where young dragons go to complete the final stage of their elemental training. We manipulate metal to build ourselves an object of great importance."

"Like what?"

"Whatever we want. But it's not for us. We must give it to someone special."

"Who?"

"Whoever we want. My partner at the time- this was before my relationships turned to shit- he gave me my armor, and I gave him his. I knew he wanted to be a soldier, so I suggested the idea. At the time, I didn't know where my life was headed, but I knew I wanted to be with him forever, so I asked for armor too, even though I couldn't see myself in a peacekeeping position."

She sighed.

"You know, a part of me wants to go back to that time. Life was so simple. Then I made Fiction. But you know what? I'll accept the life I've chosen. A lot has gone wrong, but I've also had many happy-"

"I hate to interrupt, but what were you saying about the island?" Owen asked with a hint of irritation.

Elkay huffed.

"Tall Mountain is where we make metal. Pallasmaa is where we train using the other elements. Ellie completed her studies long ago. She's familiar with Asterparan tradition. Right now, she's waiting at the runes on Tall Mountain."

"Okay, but you could have just _told_ us that . . ." Owen muttered.

"I had a point to make," Elkay snapped, "She's waiting there because she expects a challenger, one who has mastered the elements. Now, a lot of dragons meet this requirement, as well as some tigers and other animals, but none are foolish enough to challenge her."

Claire blinked.

"Who is she waiting for, then?"

"The narrator."

"Aren't _you_ the narrator?" Owen asked.

Elkay took a deep breath.

"As I told the recently deceased allosaur, we don't know yet. All we can glean from this is that he- my dad said it was a guy, right?"

Claire and Owen shrugged. Elkay twisted her beak.

"Let's just assume the narrator is a guy, or it'll be hard to avoid repeating pronouns in dialogue. Anyway, we know the following: he's an Asterparan, he probably has a beef with me, he was most likely trained in Pallasmaa- or he wouldn't be able to match my magical abilities- and he was somehow able to threaten my father. I don't know if that last bit is important, since my dad is chicken shit."

Claire licked her lips and grabbed a larger piece of wood as it floated by.

"Alright. Where does this leave us?"

"Well, the narrator is probably not going to challenge Ellie, since he seems to like his privacy, and he's taking his sweet time to unravel my canon, all the while remaining anonymous, so I figure he's about as powerful as I am sans-Star. Furthermore, he's doing this very inefficiently, which implies that this is about sending a message, not about getting things done quick and neat."

"Okay . . ." Owen pressed.

Elkay sighed impatiently.

"What I'm saying is that once we identify him, we have a chance of beating him," she elaborated.

Claire's tail slapped the water, and her plates folded back.

" _What_?! How can we possibly _beat_ him if we've been _failing_ this whole time?"

Elkay smiled.

" _Now_ who's being pessimistic? Claire, you forget that Asterparans are not truly omnipotent. We're just really good at what we do. If it ever seems like we're unbeatable, it's because mortals suck at everything by comparison."

"Thanks . . ."

"No problem. Anyway, only The Star is all-powerful, and even the Starbearer must have some limitations, though not many. Our mystery narrator is approximately as powerful as _I_ am- probably in different ways, or maybe not- but until now, he had the advantage of secrecy."

"He still does. We don't know who he is."

Elkay quirked a brow.

"We don't _need_ to. Do you remember how my father said that Ellie was too powerful for him? Odds are, she's too powerful for our anonymous friend, too."

"So you're saying that Ellie going darkwings foiled his plan?" Owen asked.

Elkay hummed.

"Sure. I don't think he expected her to snap, and if he did, he didn't know she was too powerful for him."

"He made a _mistake_ , then," Claire twittered excitedly, tail wagging.

"Yes. He also left my father to die, but the scenario was so convoluted that he survived no problem. Not sure if that's an oversight or if he just didn't care, but . . ."

"So where does this leave us?"

Elkay lifted her head proudly.

"If we can convince Ellie to come back to us, she will be able to seek out this narrator and force him to undo what he's done. No matter how much of the world we lose on our way to find him, he will have no choice but to do as Ellie says, because she is capable of kicking his ass. We need her to be un-darkwinged, though. She'll only do as we say if she's back to her normal self. In summation . . ."

Elkay blew smoke into the air, which formed a brief list.

1\. Win over Ellie.

2\. Find narrator.

3\. Force narrator to undo his changes and give us back the rights to our story.

4\. Celebrate victory at a fast food restaurant of our choosing.

5\. Profit.

"It's perfect!" Elkay declared, "Of course, there's always a chance that Ellie can't be turned, and she could easily destroy us all, but other than that, we're good to go!"

"Aren't you worried about the narrator?" Claire asked timidly.

Elkay scoffed.

"No, not anymore. He may have tricked us into thinking he's more powerful than he actually is, but in reality, he's just another me. He makes mistakes, indulges in structured narrative, and doesn't realize that he can't control the story fully. If we threaten him with a few years in the Beneath, or else reform him like ninety percent of our villains, everything will be okay. Truth be told, I'm more worried about Ellie. I hate to say it, but if she doesn't go normal-wings, we're pretty much screwed."

"And how do we convince her to turn?" Claire asked.

"Same way you suggested. By talking. I know it didn't go smoothly earlier, but on the bright side, I just remembered that Ellie wrote herself an accidental limitation that we can use to our advantage."

"And what's that?"

Elkay smirked slyly.

"You can't be killed by any creature woman-born."


	18. Slaughter

Elkay carried Claire and Owen on her back, soaring over an Asterparan sea. The wrinkles on the surface of the water flashed by, making Claire dizzy whenever she looked down. That wasn't why she felt sick, of course, but she tried not to think about it too hard. Steering her train of thought to more nostalgic memories, she lay on the dragon's diamond-shaped scales and sighed.

"I never thought I'd come back here."

Elkay turned her head a little.

"I was under the impression that you went to Asterpara when you were helping Ellie."

"Occasionally, but never to Tall Mountain. That's where it all began."

"And where it all will end," Elkay added grimly.

Claire took a deep breath and stared out at the horizon.

"This feels impossible. We're up against an omnipotent deity who is now our only hope of conquering a world-destroying writer, plus everyone we know has left us and we're being forced to confront these gods alone."

Elkay huffed.

"Don't be afraid. Fear gives our enemies the advantage."

Owen scoffed.

"Well, it's kind of hard not to be afraid when we have at least two angry gods on our case."

Elkay laughed and surfed a thermal casually.

"Owen, you've had two gods on your case before. This isn't going to be easy, but that doesn't make it impossible. An Asterparan is an Asterparan. It doesn't matter if the narrator is evil and powerful, as long as we find a way to defeat him. He could drown cancerous orphans and still, we wouldn't have anything to worry about. The world can heal itself after tragedies, and no matter how much is destroyed along the way, there will always be hope as long as someone lives on to tell the tale. Life finds a way."

Owen crossed his arms.

"Didn't you say you sunk the Titanic?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was an odd thing to bring up and then drop immediately."

Elkay laughed.

"Well, take comfort in knowing that I've been responsible for major disasters, and I was defeated in time. Same goes for our mystery narrator."

"But are all Asterparans defeatable?"

"Oh, sure. That's like asking if all _humans_ are defeatable. Overworldians and Ficties, I mean. The strength of each individual varies, and some may hold more power than others, but humans have been around for several years, and will probably continue to be around for many more, even in the case of a post-apocalyptic scenario in which society crumbles entirely and creates a hopeless wasteland. And when the humans are gone, another organism will replace them. There will always be _something_ , though the somethings that occupy your Earth will change, inevitably. So there's still a chance for us. If we fail today, someone will take our place and continue to fight for what's right."

"What happens when there's no one left?" Owen asked.

Elkay chirped.

"Look, I'm kind of shitting myself right now, so if you could just accept my motivational speech and move on, that'd be great . . ."

Claire caught sight of an island on the horizon.

"Alright, Elkay. I know things seem bleak, but we have to try and save Ellie. If we win, great. If we lose, it won't be our problem anymore."

"So this is potentially a suicide mission?" Owen whispered.

He received his answer in silence, which said more than words. There wasn't much time to let it sink in, however, because a speck of light appeared in the sky, and as it drew near, it became possible to identify it as a fireball. Elkay swerved to the side, then beat her wings frantically.

"Ellie's very angry . . ."

More fireballs came flying, one by one and still too far-range to be of consequence. Elkay could see them coming, and even with their less acute vision, Owen and Claire spotted the crackling balls long before they were close enough to be deadly. They held onto the dragon as she wove between sizzling projectiles, which landed in the sea and threw up pillars of steam.

"Why's she wasting her time on this?" Claire wondered, "It's not like she's gonna hit anyone."

Owen frowned.

"She could be warning us, but I don't know why she'd be doing that since she seems keen to harm anyone who gets in her way."

Elkay folded her ears.

"Maybe she thinks the narrator knows about our plan, and is refusing to challenge her because of it."

Claire batted her eyes.

"Wait, does Ellie know what we're doing?"

"She's all-powerful. I'm sure she thought to look it up."

As they drew near, the fireballs shot by more frequently, and a few came close to singeing Elkay's wings. When one sliced her belly, she flapped desperately to regain balance.

"Okay. I'm getting a little worried."

Then, for no apparent reason, the fireballs stopped coming. Owen loosed his grip on Elkay's neck and sighed with relief.

"Well, that's better."

The dragon gulped.

"Not exactly . . ."

An orange glow had appeared on the mountain. Elkay pulled her head back slightly.

"Whatever's about to happen, it won't be good . . ."

Suddenly, a massive fireball shot up into the sky, then made a curve to follow the dragon's path. She tried to dodge it, but it spun around again, locked on its target like it had a mind of its own. Elkay shrieked as it almost hit her.

"Hang on!"

She dove down to the waterline. The fireball followed, leaving a trail of hissing steam as it zipped over the ocean. Claire looked back at it, and when she turned around, they were about to crash into the side of the mountain. Elkay made a ninety degree turn, and the ball of fire collided with the cliff, erupting into dust and debris. During her maneuver, Owen and Claire had been flung off her back, but she was relieved to see that they were both safe, buzzing a few meters away from the blast. Claire flew over to Elkay and frowned.

"Maybe warn us next time?"

She shrugged.

"I told you to hang on."

Owen nodded to the peak of the mountain.

"Let's not argue. We have a job to do."

And so they began their climb. It would be faster, they knew, to fly to the top of the mountain, but for various reasons, they decided to travel on foot. For the majority of the journey, Elkay marched ahead of Claire and Owen, who stayed by each other's side, feet crunching in warmly-tinted leaves. Owen kept his hand on Claire's shoulder, removing it only to help her up a ledge when she had trouble getting a grip. Unfortunately, one cliff managed to grab Claire back. Stone grew around her foot, and when she tried to pull back, she found that she was quite stuck. She mooed in panic.

Owen saw her struggling and attempted to yank her away from the ground, but the rocks were up to her shoulders, and it wasn't long before they had covered her entire body. She broke off the cliff and swung her front legs clumsily, though she was not moving of her own volition. She was like a rock-zombie.

When Claire knocked Owen to the ground and raised her fists to bash his head in, Elkay calmly shot a bolt of electricity into her chest. The rocks burst away from her figure, and she sat heaving on her side, stunned by the whole ordeal. Elkay walked past her with a neutral expression.

"Ellie has learned a few tricks, I see. _I_ certainly never taught her _that_ . . ."

Claire caught her breath, and seeing that Elkay would not stop to let anyone rest, allowed Owen to help her to her feet. Before they had taken three steps, lightning shot down beside them. Elkay turned her head with a flat expression.

"Now this."

After the second bolt, they darted back and forth, dodging deafening columns of electricity. They entered the forest, but the trees and vines came to life, snapping at them like wild animals. After a significant amount of thrashing and screaming, they escaped this peril, only to face yet another. There was a terrible blizzard near the peak, and the snow flew so hard into Claire's face that she struggled to open her eyes, which were already stinging. Owen knelt in front of her when he realized that she was falling behind.

"Claire, we're going to make it, okay?"

"I'm holding you back."

"No, you're fine. I'm not leaving without you."

Claire smiled and looked up at him.

"Owen, we've come so far."

Elkay landed between them, kicking up snow.

"Hey, losers. Cut the callbacks. We gotta move."

They followed her through the frost, which was up to Owen's waist. The level fell as they progressed, but still, they felt no better about the whole thing. When it was possible to move freely, they continued to walk as though their feet were made of lead. Claire lifted her chin a little when the sky began to clear, but the sight of the mountain's peak made her nervous.

"Why is she doing this to us?"

She received no reply.

"I mean, she could kill us, so why isn't she doing it?"

Elkay looked over her shoulder.

"Maybe there's still a bit of good left inside her."

She didn't sound confident, but Claire accepted this explanation. At this point, all she had was hope. This moment would prove if she could hold onto it, or if it would be lost forever. It didn't really matter, either way. If they failed, no one would stick around to witness what would be sacrificed in the world's cleansing.

They found Ellie right where Elkay said she'd be. She was standing atop a pedestal in the middle of the henge, blacks wings spread wide.

"You've come back to challenge me. What a foolish mistake."

Claire stepped forward.

"You know better than that, Ellie. We're here to reason with you."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"Partial truths are just as bad as lies."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Fine. _I'm_ here to apologize."

"And would you accept my help, even if you didn't receive an apology in return?"

Claire batted her eyes.

"What kind of a question is that?"

"A valid one. You're selfish, Claire. Are you doing this for yourself or for the good of the world?"

"The world- I mean, what's important to me is the world, but I also want to get this off my chest-"

"So you don't care that I'm in pain? As long as you're forgiven, my suffering is perfectly acceptable?"

"No, that's not true at all . . ."

Owen stood by Claire's side.

"She's telling the truth."

Ellie glared at him.

"How can you be sure?"

"I trust her."

"You trusted her long before she lowered herself to your standards."

Claire mooed quietly.

"Don't talk to him that way. There's nothing wrong with him."

Owen smiled, but Ellie stepped down from the pedestal with an ice-cold glare.

"You wouldn't have said that twenty years ago."

"No, but I was wrong back then."

"And you're not wrong now?"

"I'm wrong about many things, probably more than I know, but I'm asking for a chance to make things right. Not just for me, but for everyone we know. For _you_ , especially. I don't want us to keep hurting each other, Ellie. I want us to be friends again."

"What if I don't want that?"

Claire curled her tail uncertainly.

"Then I don't know what to tell you. Still, this world is falling apart, and even if you don't wish to help us for my benefit, you have to admit that the right thing to do would be to recover the innocent lives lost in this chaos and restore the home we used to share."

"I disagree."

Claire's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"You're wrong. What's the point of living through all this misery? I've endured enough happy endings to know that no matter how confident you are that your narrative is over, that everything is right with the world, there will always be another story in its wake, and stories _are_ suffering. There _are_ no happy endings, because the one true ending is just that: an end. To be happy, we must reject all that we know, and let the universe become nothingness, because when we are empty, we do not suffer."

Claire whimpered.

"That's not true! Ellie, even if we suffer, the happiness we feel-"

Suddenly, Ellie darted forward and knocked Owen and Elkay back. She grabbed Claire by the horn and dragged her to the pedestal, which was widening into a long, silver altar.

"You are living a delusion, Claire. We think our existence means something, because it seems impossible that we could _be_ without a purpose, but we are all accidents, and no matter how much we try to justify the continuation of our lives, we will always be reminded of the fact that we do not matter, and everything we love is going to one day be taken from us, because no one cares what happens to poor, feeble humans."

"Ellie, please!"

"Your optimism was instilled by a system that cares nothing about you, and you will never be able to rid yourself of this foolish hope."

"Ellie-"

She slammed her head against the altar, binding her with magic. Owen ran forward, but Ellie pulled a pillar of water and sand from the sea, and in its arc over the mountain, it descended towards him with unrestrained fury. Elkay leapt in front of Owen and sent electricity flying out of her mouth, and from the blast that followed came fragments of crystal or glass, which slowed to a stop and spiraled midair, punctuating the scene like stars. Ellie called one very large fragment to her hand, then held it like a stiletto.

"You have too much hope, Claire. It's disgusting. Do you want to know the worst part? You can't be cured of it."

Claire whimpered as tip of the glass dagger hovered inches away from her snout. Light bent through the crystalline substance and shone in her eye, making her squint.

"Do you know what happens when you can't cure an animal of their sickness?"

She leaned closer to Claire.

"You put it down."

Ellie raised the shard above her head, gnashing her teeth. Seeing this, Owen gave a cry and pushed past Elkay, but before he could reach the altar, Ellie sliced Claire's throat and disappeared in a dark cloud, leaving the wounded stegoceratops thrashing in panic. Blood poured from her neck impossibly fast, and she was briefly stunned by how much fluid there was in her body. It gushed out like a river, and just kept coming and coming. So quickly. Unbelievably quick. A red stream. It didn't even keep in time to her heartbeat. Somehow, the blood found another escape route, thus it seeped out of her beak and onto the ground in a puddle that she could barely see. It was all happening impossibly fast. Her vision was blurring and her body was no longer obeying her commands, and on top of it all, she had trouble thinking. She felt pain, bad pain, but she wasn't sure what that meant, or if it was even supposed to mean something in the first place. She had a brief moment of clarity when she felt Owen touching her neck, or maybe her body, because she wasn't sure which was which now. He was close to her face, and she thought she'd better say something, because there was a word for what was happening to her, and it was "dying", which meant that she would never get another chance to speak if she let this moment slip through her metaphorical fingers. She had so much to say, but Owen knew most of it, so she figured it would be best to sum it up in a simple phrase, which he was also aware of, but that would show him he was important enough to be the center of her final moments. And this _was_ the end. There was no doubt about that. This stupid, rushed period of less than a minute was all Claire could leave him with, and although she had thought endlessly about what it meant to be old and therefore close to death, she had been so inaccurate in her speculation that it was almost laughable, and more than anything, frustrating. She did not want to be young like before, Claire thought, nor did she want to be old, particularly. She did not _want_ anything, but she knew that she did _not want_ to die, yet this act of _not wanting_ something was not enough to make it a reality, though the throbbing emotion that came with it was all she was feeling right now. Perhaps it was a form of regret, not just for her own sake, but for Owen, whom she had promised to grow old with, and now never would. And then there was Lily and Charlie and all of Claire's friends, whom she would never see again, and now she was terrified that perhaps she had left them with an unpleasant farewell, as she only now knew that those goodbyes were turning out to be her last ones ever. She wished someone could have told her. But Owen was here. He was here now, and he was holding her and crying, crying like she'd never seen him cry before, and they both needed something from each other. Claire needed to know that her last moment with Owen would not be wasted, and he needed to know that she loved him. And that's what she would say: I love you. It was simple and stupid and unoriginal and vague, but it was true, and there was no better way of reminding Owen why it was that she did not want to die. She _wanted_ to tell him and _needed_ to tell him, and so she _would_. She would tell Owen that she loved him. Her beak opened to begin the "I love you", but instead of words, more blood poured from her mouth, and it was the last pint that she could have reasonably survived on, not that there was much chance of that. The fluid left her as her heart gave out, and her lungs deflated when they realized that they were the only vital organs still running. Her eyes were still open, but what she saw had no meaning to her, for she had forgotten how to think. Then, one by one, the little parts that kept her going fizzled out and became useless scraps of nothing, until she was just a big pile of broken pieces. She may as well have been nothing. Nothing at all. And she was, because what made her herself was _gone_ , plain and simple.

That was how Claire Dearing died.


	19. The Road Not Taken

This chapter was a collaborative effort between two authors. The supervising writer provided feedback for many segments, as well as contributing one of his own. After much toil and suffering, including a period of intense vomiting induced by grape-flavored energy drink, it is finally set for release. Thank you for your patience.

***TSFEW***

Elkay watched with hanging ears and worried eyes as Owen held Claire's lifeless body. His shirt was stained with cold blood, so much so that it was almost entirely red, and he was crying like she'd never seen him cry before. He didn't seem to care that she was witnessing this breakdown, which made her worry. Part of her wanted to go after Ellie, who had flown away to her crumbling world, but she knew it wasn't a matter of want alone. She was upset about Claire's death, of course, but Owen was flat out broken, and he wouldn't agree to just up and leave. He had no way of getting home without a dragon's help, so she was kind of stuck. Still, as tragic as this scenario was, the fate of the world hung in the balance, so she allowed him to cry for a half hour before creeping up to him timidly.

"Owen, we have to go . . ."

"Not without Claire!"

Elkay bit her beak.

"She's dead, Owen."

"No! She can't be! You said she couldn't be killed by anyone woman-born!"

"Well, with all due respect, I think we both forgot that Ellie's mother disappeared, so within the Jurassic Park canon, she has no mentioned mother, and is therefore born of no one until proven otherwise."

Owen continued to weep. Elkay waited for him to say something, and when he didn't, she poked him awkwardly.

"Owen . . ."

"Bring her back!"

"I can't."

"Why not? You do it all the time!"

"It's different now."

"Bullshit! You're making excuses!"

"I'm not. I know it may take a while for you to believe me, so I won't ask you what's on my mind- especially since this is a sensitive time to bring it up- but maybe when you've healed, we could, you know . . ."

She shook her head.

"But that's a discussion for another time. Come on. We gotta go."

Owen shook his head.

"I'm not leaving her."

"You can't just hug her corpse all day."

"She's not dead!"

"That's a little _too_ deluded, even for denial . . ."

"She can't just leave me! I need her! We were supposed to grow old together!"

"And Jurassic Park Three was supposed to save the franchise. We can't always get what we want."

Owen buried his face in Claire's neck, holding her wound closed. Elkay bit her beak, then perked her ears.

"Hey, Owen! I just thought of a fun game. It's called 'Avenge Claire by stopping the narrator and saving Ellie'!"

"Ellie murdered her . . ."

"Yeah, but you know . . . darkwings . . ."

"Claire didn't do anything wrong. She just wanted to apologize."

Elkay shrugged.

"Yeah, but this is the narrator's fault, when you think about it. We could go on a quest to learn that lesson, but on the other hand, it's easier to just explain why your anger is misplaced and be done with it."

"I'm not going."

"So you're gonna just stay here and touch her decomposing carcass all day?"

She started giggling.

"I'm sorry. I laugh at inappropriate times. I know it's off-putting."

Owen ran his hand over Claire's cheek.

"We have to bury her."

"I can breathe fire all over her face and cremate her. Or freeze her or whatever."

"She needs to be buried."

"Can't this wait? Why don't we go stop the world from collapsing, then come back for her body?"

Owen sniffled, staring at Claire with a quivering lip. Elkay gulped.

"She, um, would have wanted it that way, right? . . ."

Owen sobbed. Elkay gave an uncomfortable chirp, then reached out and took him by the arm.

"I don't wanna force you, but . . ."

"I'll go. I'll go to avenge Claire."

He dragged himself onto Elkay's back, and they rode off into a grey sky, leaving Claire's body behind. The lifeless cadaver remained in the same spot, changing only in the sense that the sun gave it a different contour as time went on. The eyes were still open, now cloudy, glazed, and dry, but the sunset cast light over them, making the pupils a little less dead. The shadow of the fallen stegoceratops grew longer, until out of nowhere, she gasped noisily, taking in air like she had just resurfaced after nearly drowning. Her heart had started beating weakly a little beforehand, though it didn't show through her sun-dried scales. She was not quite alive, but her basic functions appeared to be half working.

Slowly, like the living dead, she dragged herself to the main body of the fulgurite Ellie had created. She wrapped her arms and legs around it, climbing the structure until she was at the top. Then, she pressed the tip of her tail against the point and dropped down, suspended from it by a sticky patch oozing from her thagomizer. She curled up until her face reached her tail and began to salivate. Green gel gushed out of her mouth, covering her body in a substance that eventually solidified. She moved down her figure, enveloping herself in this gelatinous crust, then became still when she was completely submerged.

The sun bathed her cocoon in orange light before sinking into the sea.

***TSFEW***

Claire was in the jungle. She did not know how she got there. She was simply aware of her location at a certain point, and this in itself was not strange, since it wasn't like she just woke up in the middle of nowhere, but she didn't think it was normal to be in a place and only know it after a while. Obviously, she was supposed to remember the events leading up to this point, but she could not recall a journey being made, nor a teleportation outside of her control. She remembered dying, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this whole setup made absolutely zero sense.

Was this heaven? She didn't think so, because it felt more like a dream. But it was also real. And why would heaven be a jungle, of all things? She wasn't against the idea of a tropical afterlife, per se, but it was a confusing concept, and she felt that heaven shouldn't be confusing. If this was her eternal paradise, she expected someone to tell her what was going on, so that she wouldn't have to wander around aimlessly. She supposed that it was possible her idea of heaven was grossly inaccurate. Perhaps heaven was just a jungle you arrived at without warning, and it didn't really mean anything on a spiritual level. Maybe dead people just went to a random place for no reason, because the magic of the one true religion, a canon never discovered by humans, was random and pointless, and meant nothing to anyone because they never believed in it.

Claire wasn't sure what she was supposed to expect, anyway, since it seemed like part of the mythology of heaven was not knowing what it was, exactly. She was somewhat familiar with the popular notion of heaven, mostly from various cartoons that showed a land of clouds and Golden Arches- or was it Golden Gates? Yeah, she was pretty sure that Golden Arches was McDonald's, which was probably closer to hell. Anyway, she wondered if the popular idea of heaven was accurate to the Bible, or if people just assumed heaven would be clouds and gates. Of all the places one could spend eternity, a cloud world seemed kind of limited and not at all appropriate for humans. She supposed it made sense for angels to exist in the sky, and human ecosystems wouldn't matter if no one had to eat or do anything relating to survival, but this jungle made her think that maybe the afterlife was based on personal preference, though she wasn't sure why her heaven was a jungle. Maybe it was because she had died a dinosaur, and whoever ran this place just assumed she'd like to be around plants and dirt . . . if there was even someone in charge at all.

Claire pondered this notion with a hint of dread, but snapped to attention when she heard a familiar voice. Owen was calling out to her somewhere nearby. She ran through the trees, hoping this wasn't some sort of purgatory trick, but sure enough, Owen was marching through the jungle with a coffee cup in one hand and a brown bag in the other. Claire wagged her tail.

"Owen! You're here- Oh, no! Are you dead too? Did Ellie get you? Wait, maybe I didn't die. That explains the jungle. We're back home, aren't we? Not in Tennessee, I mean, but- . . . Owen? . . ."

Although she was standing right in front of him, he didn't seem to notice her. She waved her foot in front of his face, but he didn't react.

"Owen? . . ."

He walked straight through her. Claire gasped.

"What the-"

"Hello?! Claire, are you out there?! . . ."

She turned around with a quivering lip.

"I'm here, Owen! I'm here! Can you hear me?"

He couldn't. Claire followed him through the jungle, tears pouring down her face.

"I know what this is. I'm in hell. I don't know whether you're here too, but this could be part of my eternal punishment. They sent me here because I let my friends die and murdered one of my own, and now I have to watch you without being able to interact . . ."

Owen sighed when he entered a clearing and sat down on a fallen log. He placed the coffee cup on the ground and opened the brown bag.

"Claire, I have a croissant for you. Come and get it. I promise, I won't take you in. I'm on your side. We all are. We were just surprised, is all . . ."

There was a rustling in the bushes. Owen turned his head.

"Claire?"

A rock landed on the opposite side of the clearing. It got Owen's attention, but since it was thrown behind him, he didn't realize that it was what had made the noise. He stood up, brown bag in hand, and jogged into the jungle.

"Claire? . . . Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."

Claire followed him. He went quite a ways into the jungle before he realized no one was there. With a frustrated sigh, he marched back to the clearing. As he went to sit on the log once more, he paused with a furrowed brow. Claire scanned the scene and realized why: the coffee was gone. Owen, now more suspicious than ever, looked around with narrow eyes.

"Claire? Is that you? You can come out. I won't tell anyone where you're hiding . . ."

Silence. Owen shrugged and pulled out the croissant.

"Alright, then. I guess I'll just eat this delicious pastry . . . all alone . . . here in the jungle . . ."

He tossed it up and down gently in his palm.

"You know, I'm not all that hungry. Maybe I should just . . ."

He tossed the croissant across the clearing. Suddenly, a massive figure burst out of the foliage and charged past him. Claire was so stunned that she froze in place, and the dinosaur ran straight through her, just like Owen had. She whipped her head around, staring at the newcomer with shock. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Moo!"

The second Claire grabbed the croissant in her beak, but before she could make a getaway, Owen pulled a lasso from his belt and roped her around the neck. In a fraction of a second, he tied the other end to the log. Claire tried to escape, but the log only slid an inch or two, and she slipped clumsily, falling on her side. Owen gave a victorious cry.

"Ha! Got you!"

His smiled disappeared when he saw her reaction. She had covered her face, and was crying softly. Owen bit his lip and approached her cautiously, wondering if it was some kind of trick.

"Claire? . . ."

She flinched and curled up tighter. He got down on his hands and knees.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head again, whimpering a little. Owen gulped.

"I'm sorry I made you fall, Claire, but what else could I do? You just ran away, and I needed a chance to talk to you."

She sniveled.

"Can you talk?"

She nodded.

"Alright, let's talk, then."

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

She gave a short whine. Owen's face softened.

"Hey, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I won't tell anyone you fell. I know you're upset about this whole dinosaur thing, but you don't have to hide from us. We won't judge."

Claire didn't reply. Owen reached out and touched her shoulder. She tensed up.

"We're worried about you, Claire. You just ran out on us, and we didn't know what to do. We aren't looking for you to punish you. We're just concerned that something is wrong."

She remained silent. He crossed his legs.

"Tell you what: why don't we go back to the park and tell everyone what happened. I promise no one else will shoot you or tranquilize you or do anything impulsive. We know this wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be afraid of."

She peeked at him, then covered her eyes again. He gave a sympathetic smile.

"I can get you a robe if it makes you more comfortable. The important thing is to talk it out. I know you're scared that someone's gonna lock you up or something, but that's only gonna happen if you try to run away and hide like an animal. We're all adults here, and we understand that you got scared and made a bad decision, but you gotta do what's right and face the people who have your best interest in mind."

She uncovered her face. Owen smiled.

"There you go. I'm sorry I had to trick you, but I didn't know what else to do. I can get you a new croissant when we reach the park. I don't think you want a dirty one."

Her stomach growled. She looked up at a tree with longing in her eyes. Owen followed her gaze and saw mangoes hanging from one of the branches.

"You must be starving. Do you think we can wait until we get back to the park?"

She shook her head. Owen twisted his mouth.

"Well, alright. Those look high enough for you to reach, and I have a knife to peel them. If I untie you, do you promise not to run away?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Good. I'm glad you trust me, Claire. I know what I did wasn't right, but I thought if anyone could help you, it was me. I don't mean to sound pompous or anything, but I feel we understand each other on a deeper level, you know?"

She nodded rapidly.

"Man, I feel awful for roping you like that. I was just afraid you wouldn't listen to me after how our date went. I guess it wasn't the best way to ask for a second chance, but it happened, so that's the end of it. Anyway, I trust you now, and I think you trust me, so can we agree to be mature about this from now on?"

She nodded again, looking slightly impatient.

"Alright, then. Here I go."

He reached down and loosened the loop around her neck. As soon as he lifted it over her frill, she knocked him over with her horn and charged into the jungle. Owen's jaw dropped.

"Claire! . . ."

She kept running. Owen watched her leave with a betrayed expression, and she caught a glimpse of his reaction as she fled. When he looked down and dropped his rope, she slowed to a stop. He sat on the log, putting his head in his hands, and she lumbered back to him slowly. He heard her coming and dropped one of his arms.

"Was it all a lie?"

She gave an awkward rumble. Owen took a deep breath and stood up.

"Serves me right. Here I was, thinking you actually cared. I coulda dragged you back by force, but instead, I choose to bare my heart to you. Every time I put myself on the line, you repay me by taking advantage of my kindness. The messed-up thing is that I'll never stop helping you, because I fall for your tricks every time. I want to believe so bad that I do the stupidest things, even though part of me always knows you're lying."

Claire looked down in shame. Owen turned away.

"Don't try to act all guilty and stuff. I know you're just pretending. Every lie you tell me is an insult, and I wonder if you think I have any brains at all."

Claire gulped and cleared her throat.

"Owen . . ."

"Oh, so you _do_ talk."

"I didn't want you to hear me speak in this body."

"So what changed? Did you realize you needed to take advantage of me some more?"

She bit her lower beak.

"I wanted to apologize."

"And what do you hope to gain from that?"

Claire winced.

"I . . . Owen, I'm not trying to trick you."

"Stop lying. Every word that comes out of your mouth is further proof that you don't think of me as anything but a moron you can use for your own proposes. I'd rather you just shut up."

Claire sniffled and ran into the jungle, and Owen marched in the opposite direction.

"I'm not falling for it . . . I'm not falling for it . . ."

Claire (the one watching this scene) followed him home. The journey took a while, since he chose to go on foot, and when he opened the door to his bungalow, he found that someone had made it there first. The other Claire dropped the jar of peanut butter she had been licking and shrunk back in shame.

"I can replace it. I didn't think you'd take this long to get back."

Owen glared at her.

"Claire . . . What. The. Hell."

She whimpered and backed into the corner.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't want to ask for a place to stay after your little speech, but I got so cold and hungry that I couldn't just go out in the wilderness."

" _Cold_? Claire, this is Central America!"

"Well, it's _going_ to get cold when night comes . . ."

Owen shook his head.

"Unbelievable. You think you can just march in here and claim the place as your own? Did you pee all over my carpet too?"

"No, I used the toilet . . . and the shower. You're out of shampoo, by the way."

Owen held out his hands in disbelief.

"YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE H- Oh, forget it!"

He crossed his arms and stormed over to the couch, where he sat down and glared at the wall. Claire bit her lower beak and trotted up to him.

"Owen, I'm scared. I know I haven't been good to you, but I'm a dinosaur without a home, and I can't face those people . . . not yet, anyway. Please, try to understand. I'm in big trouble."

"And of course you had to go to that dumbass Owen for help, since he's the only one who's stupid enough to do as you say," he grumbled.

Claire's lip quivered. Then, she broke into a full-out sob, nearly screaming.

"Owen, I'm a big, ugly dinosaur, and if I go back to the park, they'll shoot me dead!"

"That's not true."

She covered her face.

"They'll take one look at me and blast me full of holes, all because I'm scaly and fat!"

"You're being dramatic."

"I'm gonna be forced to live in the wild, where I'll starve to death or be eaten by wolves!"

"That's highly unlikely."

"I should just jump off a bridge and end my suffering now!"

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Fine. You can stay for a few nights."

She grinned.

"Cool, thanks!"

She jumped on the bed, curling up in the center and leaving absolutely no room for Owen. He sighed and lay back on the couch.

"Well, I'm falling for it again."

The Claire observing them noticed that some time seemed to pass quicker. Perhaps she was simply forgetting the in-between bits, but she remembered them to some degree, so maybe it was like recalling a memory, where some moments stuck out more than others. Anyway, it was a few days later, and things had reached a boiling point. Owen had had to deal with Claire knocking over lamps with her tail and breaking furniture, but when she got caught in the door and pulled the frame off the wall, that was the final straw. She stood in the middle of the room, wood still pinching her sides.

"Your door is broken."

He ground his teeth.

"I noticed."

She shook it off, damaging the frame further.

"You really should get that fixed. Maybe instead of buying magazines and junk, you ought to invest in a good door."

"I _had_ a perfectly good door."

"If it was so good, why did it break?"

He stamped his foot.

" _IT BROKE BECAUSE YOU'RE FAT_!"

Claire's jaw dropped.

" _Excuse me_?!"

"It broke because you're fat, you're fat because you eat too much, and you eat too much because whenever I try to talk to you, you start crying to make me feel bad, and I can't tell you to calm down because that makes _me_ the bad guy! Do you know how much I've spent on food while you've been living here? Too much! It's even worse, because you ask for the fanciest, most expensive vegetables known to man, never once thinking that maybe you can stand to eat a cheaper brand when you're living off my dime! I've been too nice to you, Claire, and the nicer I am, the shittier you are to _me_! I'm sick of it! Someone needs to pound some sense into that stupid walnut-brain of yours, because right now, you don't seem to understand that you're acting like a big, fat cow!"

Claire squealed in agony and ran out the hole in the wall that had formerly been a door. Owen stood his ground, clenching his fists, but she did not return to argue further. He wondered if for once, he'd actually managed to hurt her. He wasn't sure he liked it, if that was the case.

Days passed, and still, there was no sign of Claire. Owen wondered how she was surviving without her pedicures and hot baths, not to mention luxury carrots, but there had been no reports of a dead dinosaur lying around, so it couldn't be too hard on her, he decided.

Then, one day, as Owen set his groceries down to open the lock on his new door, Claire peeked around the corner of the house and snatched a bag of apples from his porch. He dropped his keys.

"HEY!"

He ran after her, but she didn't make it very far. She tripped over an exposed root and fell face down in the mud. The bag tore in her beak, sending apples rolling all over the place. Owen caught up to her, and saw that she was weeping . . . for real, this time. Upon further examination, he noticed that she was covered in cuts and bruises, and aside from the newly-applied mud, she also had a great deal of aged dirt clinging to her scales. Her rump was speckled with bug bites, and her toenails were cracked and worn. She was a great deal skinnier, too. When he gave her a questioning look, she covered her face and spoke between sobs.

"Don't- Don't look at me!"

He batted his eyes.

"Claire, what happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Claire."

"You were right, okay?! I couldn't make it alone, and I had to resort to stealing, because when I lose something, I always come to you to get it back! I'm pathetic! I'm dependent on another person, and it's just _one_ person because everyone else hates me! No one wants to help me because I'm a stupid, ugly dinosaur, and when I'm not a stupid, ugly dinosaur, I'm a complete and utter bitch!"

She bawled and blubbered, clearly beyond the point of self-respect and restraint. Owen looked at her with pity.

"Claire, come inside. Get yourself cleaned up."

She sniffled.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to exploit you any more than I already have."

He smiled warmly.

"Don't worry about that. We can start with a clean slate. I know you're not lying to me, this time."

After a pause, she stood up unsteadily and began to scoop up the apples. Owen put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. Leave them."

They went indoors, and Claire took a five minute shower instead of her usual hour-long bath. When she was clean, she lay down on the couch, but Owen guided her to the bed and let her sleep beside him. She didn't want to intrude, of course, but she had to admit that it felt a whole lot better than sleeping alone.

***TSFEW***

Claire watched the two of them lying together, just as she had done with her own Owen many times before. She wasn't sure what she had just witnessed, nor why she had witnessed it, but she sensed a greater purpose in her viewership. This was not a memory, nor was it a premonition. Perhaps it was a lesson taking shape as a world that could have been, but wasn't. In any case, it wasn't the end. She was being drawn to another scene. Her surroundings changed without her noticing, but when she perceived this metamorphosis, she realized that she was in for something special.

***TSFEW***

The second world Claire visited seemed to have one important change, the addition of which would vastly alter events to come, she was sure. A human Claire entered the ranch in Tennessee alone, or so it seemed. When the physical Claire turned, the ethereal Claire noticed a jerboa sitting on her shoulder. The other Claire dragged her feet as she went to sit down on a bench in the hall, placing her face in her hands when she was still. Tears leaked from between her fingers.

"I'm sorry."

The rodent, who was obviously Owen, hugged her neck.

"Don't cry, Claire. This wasn't your fault."

She sniffed.

"I dragged you into this. Now you're stuck as a rat forever and I'm no better off than I was before."

"I'm a jerboa, technically."

"That doesn't make it any better."

Owen slid down to her lap.

"Claire, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth if I thought there was a chance that it would make you happy. I know we didn't find a cure for the dinosaur stuff, but you can still control it, right? I mean, we discovered the word that reverses the change, at least."

"But you're a jerboa."

He shrugged.

"It could have been worse. A lot worse. I'm just glad we're together."

Claire nodded.

"Yeah, I guess we'll be living together since we're both out of a job."

"Among other reasons."

Claire gave him a confused look. He folded his ears.

"Oh . . . are we not still . . . you know . . ."

"What?"

His nose twitched.

"Nothing. Hey, what do you want for supper?"

"Whatever _you_ want, I guess."

"Well, I'm hungry for crickets, so I don't think you should be asking me."

Claire smiled sadly.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Can you help me catch some if I'm not fast enough?"

"There's some squished bugs on the road, I noticed."

"I have standards, Claire."

"You're literally eating bugs."

"Plenty of people eat bugs."

"But you're a jerboa."

"Doesn't mean I have to be a complete rodent. Speaking of which, where should I poop when I'm indoors?"

"The toilet."

Owen blinked.

"Uh, Claire? I don't think that'll work. I can't climb up that high, and I might fall in."

"I'll set up newspapers, then."

Owen hummed.

"Don't you think that's a little undignified?"

"Beggars can't be choosers. I'm not going to buy you a little doll toilet, if that's what you want."

Owen's whiskers twitched.

"I wasn't asking for that."

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

He curled his tail around his legs.

"I don't know, but I wish you wouldn't be so condescending."

Claire sighed and picked him up by the scruff of the neck, placing him on her supinated hand.

"I'm not trying to be condescending, Owen. I just think we need to acknowledge that you've changed."

"But I haven't, really. Just my body."

"That's what I meant. Since you're so small-"

"I'm not small!"

Claire was surprised by his outburst, especially considering the inaccuracy of his statement. When he realized what he'd said, he kicked his foot sheepishly.

"I mean, I _am_ smaller than before, but I don't need to _feel_ little unless you remind me."

Claire bit her lip.

"Well, it's going to be hard to dance around the fact that you're . . ."

She couldn't think of a better word. No replacement of "small" would be any less insulting. She settled on silence. Owen's ears drooped with disappointment.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I got mad. It's just frustrating. I feel like the world has grown around me, and I'm being left behind."

When Claire lifted his paw with her finger, he smiled a little.

"It's not _all_ bad, though. I can never really be alone as long as I'm with you."

Claire beamed.

"That's true. I hope you can come to terms with this."

"I'll try."

That evening, they had supper together. Claire had ordered takeout spaghetti, and Owen was dining on a cricket, which he nibbled eagerly at his end of the table. When he tore off the insect's head, Claire gagged. Owen looked up.

"Sorry. I know it looks gross, but it's pretty good. Wanna try?"

Claire coughed.

"No thanks."

Owen set his cricket down on the table.

"I wish I could give you a better second date."

Claire wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"No, it's fine. I don't really want a date at this stage, anyway."

"Let's just call this hanging out, then."

Owen's tail twitched when he noticed the puzzled expression on her face. The penny dropped.

"Oh . . . You didn't think this was a date . . ."

Claire picked at her nail.

"No. I thought you meant that you wanted to take me out in the future, but couldn't."

"Well, that's also true, I suppose."

After an awkward silence, Owen took a deep breath.

"Claire, at what point do you think you'd be okay with an official date?"

She fidgeted in her seat.

"Is a date still a date if you don't eat out? I've never been clear on that."

"A date is whatever you want it to be."

"Oh."

"So what's your answer?"

"Hm?"

"To my question."

"Which one?"

"The one about- Oh, forget it!"

He grabbed his cricket and hopped onto the chair and then the floor. When he was nestled in the corner of the kitchen, he began to tear into the insect aggressively, chewing in an exaggerated manner. Claire stood up and made her way to the sink, where she rinsed off her empty plate. Owen waited for her to say something to him, but she turned off the lights and headed straight for her new room. Halfway up the stairs, she paused.

"Don't leave bug parts all over the floor, okay?"

Owen frowned.

"I won't."

"Okay. Goodnight."

When Owen was finished his supper, he made the journey upstairs. He had to climb each step individually, and by the time he reached the top floor, he was out of breath. He barely had the strength to hop down the hall, and when he entered the room he assumed was his, he realized that it would be very difficult to climb onto the bed. Luckily, Claire had left her own door open, so he bounded into her room and tried to get her attention, as she appeared to be asleep.

"Claire."

She groaned.

"Claire!"

"What?"

"I can't get on the bed."

She sighed.

"Alright. Just sleep on my pillow for now. I don't want to get up."

She let him step onto her hand, then dropped him beside her head. He curled up in a ball.

"Thank you, Claire."

"Yeah, yeah. We'll get you a ladder tomorrow."

"Or we could just sleep in the same bed all the time . . ."

"I toss and turn. I don't want to squish you."

Owen's whiskers drooped.

"Okay, Claire. Goodnight."

"Mmm."

"I love you . . ."

She was already asleep.

The next morning, Claire felt very well rested. She was lying on her back, and a patch of sunshine was warming her lower half. She immersed herself in the tranquility of the scene, and gave a happy sigh.

But then she felt something moving around in her undershirt.

Slowly, Claire's eyes fell on the tiny, pink nose that was poking out of her collar. With a twitch of his whiskers, Owen snuggled deeper into her chest.

"Good morning."

Claire shrieked and sat up, shaking him away from her clothes.

"GET OUT OF MY BOOBS!"

With a terrified squeak, Owen untangled himself and fell onto the comforter, then scrambled across the bed. His eyes were wide and his fur was bristling. Claire growled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Owen whipped his tail back and forth angrily.

"I was cold! It was the middle of the night, and-"

"Owen, you were sleeping in my _shirt_!"

His nose twitched.

"Of _course_ I was! It was _warm_ there!"

Claire groaned and slapped her forehead.

"Owen, you can't just crawl into my clothing whenever you feel like it."

"Fine. Next time, I'll ask."

"There won't _be_ a next time!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's completely inappropriate!"

"No it isn't! We're a couple!"

When Claire didn't answer, Owen's ears drooped.

"Aren't we? . . ."

Claire bit her lip.

"Owen, you're not human anymore . . ."

His jaw dropped.

"Oh my god."

Claire hugged her knees.

"It's the truth, Owen. People can't date rodents. It's just not natural."

Owen's disbelief turned to rage.

"But I have a human mind! Are you saying we can't be together just because someone shrunk me and gave me a tail? That's not fair!"

"Maybe not, but there are plenty of jerboas in the wild-"

"They aren't PEOPLE, Claire! I'm a _person_! _You're_ a person, too! I can't marry a _rat_!"

"Well, neither can I!"

When she saw the look on Owen's face, Claire's heart dropped.

"I didn't mean it like that."

He didn't reply. Claire began to fiddle with the blankets.

"What I was trying to say was-"

"No, it's okay. I think we should just drop it."

" . . . Alright . . ."

Claire stood up, but before leaving the room, she realized that Owen needed her help in order to get off the bed safely. She picked him up and carried him all the way down to the kitchen, where she filled a bottle cap with tap water and placed it on the ground in front of him.

"Is this okay?"

"Sure."

She walked over to the fridge.

"I don't know if there are crickets out at this time of day. Do you want some sesame seeds or something?"

"Sure."

She grabbed a carton of milk for herself.

"I guess I'll have to find something for you in town. I'm not sure if there's a pet store nearby, but I can ch-"

As she made her way across the room, Claire stepped on something long and thin. There was a terrible shriek, and the sound of scampering. Claire tensed up when she realized that Owen's tail had been extended fully. She covered her mouth.

"Oh my god. Owen? Owen?!"

He did not reply. She ran out of the kitchen, searched every room (watching her step), and shook with guilt all the while.

"Owen?"

He was nowhere to be found. She looked under each piece of furniture where a jerboa could reasonably fit, but never caught so much as a glimpse of him. He was not staying in one place, which meant that he didn't want to be found.

Owen did not appear for the rest of the day, but Claire thought she could hear quiet sobbing coming from certain corners of the house.

She found the poor rodent sitting in the kitchen the next morning, feasting on a cricket with bags under his eyes. He looked like he'd been through hell, and she worried that she had been the one who'd put him through it. He didn't acknowledge her when she entered, but after a few minutes of silence, he finished his cricket and crossed the room. Claire reached down and let him step onto her hand. She placed him on the table in front of her.

"Did I hurt you?"

He didn't reply. Claire lifted his tail delicately.

"Any damage?"

"Nothing big," he said quietly.

She tucked his tail over his feet, careful to avoid to letting it drop.

"I'm sorry about what I said."

He shook his head slowly.

"No . . . It was the truth. I didn't want to believe it was over, but . . ."

After a pause, Claire reached forward and began to scratch behind his ears.

"Owen, I don't want this to be over. I still love you."

"But that's not enough."

She leaned forward.

"I think it might be. I just have to be willing to work a little harder. I mean, you didn't say anything when I was fat and green and ugly."

"You're never ugly."

"Thank you."

He tapped his foot involuntarily when she reached a sensitive spot on his head. He gave a dopey smile.

"That feels kind of nice . . ."

Claire smiled and moved her hand lower.

"Owen, when two people love each other, they find a way to make it work."

She moved her hand lower.

"I love you very much, and nothing's going to change that, I promise."

When she moved her hand again, Owen's eyes went wide.

"Claire, you're-"

"I know. It's okay. Just because we don't know what will work, it doesn't mean we shouldn't at least try. That's the only way to figure out how to move forward."

Owen wrapped his arms around her wrist.

"Well, this seems good so far."

She kissed the top of his head.

"I'm glad. I know you think this is over, Owen, but it's really not. I love you. I'd love you even if you were as small as a cricket."

He grinned.

"Well, from down here, I don't feel very small at all."

"Maybe I'm just big, then."

And they laughed.

As time went on, they enjoyed their somewhat bizarre relationship. There were obstacles, of course, but nothing that kept them apart for very long. After two years, however, Claire began to worry. She had noticed that Owen was getting tired faster and more frequently than usual. He sometimes lacked the strength to make it up the stairs. She carried him everywhere to compensate, and he assured her that he was fine, but she had a bad feeling this may be the beginning of the end.

When she came home from town one day, Claire found Owen lying on his side in the middle of the family room. She dropped her groceries and scooped him up. He was breathing in short gasps.

"Owen!"

He sipped air. Claire ran her finger over his ear.

"Owen, what's wrong?"

He shuddered.

"Dying."

Claire gasped.

"Owen, we need to get you to a doctor! Or a vet! Just _someone_. Hang on. I'm going to drive you down to-"

"No."

She blinked.

"What?"

"Not sick. Just dying. Can't stop it."

Claire whimpered.

"I don't understand!"

Owen closed his eyes.

"Average . . . lifespan . . . three years."

Claire shook a little, then sobbed.

"Owen, you can't die! I won't let you!"

He wrapped his paw around her thumb.

"It's okay, Claire. Had a good life. Worth . . . a million years."

She held him against her forehead.

"I don't want to lose you, Owen . . ."

"Won't be gone . . . if you remember me. Made enough memories . . . that we'll always be with each other . . . even when we're apart."

He wiped her cheek, soaking the fuzz on his palm.

"Don't be upset. I'm happy ending it . . . this way. We had a good run. Even if it ends . . . a little early . . . it was worth it. You've been the . . . best part of my life. I may be only a few inches tall . . . but I have enough love to fill a giant."

Claire smiled.

"Your heart was always bigger than mine."

Owen closed his eyes tight.

"Don't have much time. Promise . . . not to be sad . . . for too long."

"I promise."

"Good. Maybe get something . . . sensible next time. I hear . . . hamsters are pretty sturdy."

Claire laughed through her tears and brought her face closer to Owen. He crawled forward and kissed her on the lips.

"I love you, Claire."

"I love you, too."

After that, he lay on his side, cradled in her hands like a fluffy bun. He no longer had the strength to speak, but every now and then, he would give a pained squeak between rapid breaths. Eventually, the rise and fall of his chest slowed down, and then stopped entirely. His paw slipped from Claire's thumb, stretched out in rigor mortis. She continued to hold him long after he was dead. She held him as his ears turned pale. She held him as his leg spasmed, then stopped moving forever. She held him as the warmth in his body came only from her hands, and not from his own heart. There was no doubt that he was dead, but still, she held him, and when the light from the window crossed the floor and bathed her in an orange glow, she pondered the fact that the man she loved, everything she admired about him and everything that made him so unforgettable, was suddenly gone. The only proof that he had ever existed was a tiny body that could very easily fit in a bread box.

Of course, Owen was more than just a body.

What mattered to Claire, more than whatever shape he occupied, was the part of him that was smart enough to make her think, clever enough to make her laugh, and kind enough to restore her faith in the goodness of the world, even when she thought there was no hope to be found. Owen was more than just a man, and more than just a jerboa, because what was inside of him transcended any physical form, and would live on even when his shell had expired. Owen was right about many things, being wiser than he gave himself credit for, but his affirmation that he would always be with Claire was perhaps the truest statement that had ever been made. For someone as small as a rat, he had changed the course of her life so drastically that he would always be a part of her. A big part. And that would never change.

Although her friends had trouble understanding how a rodent of less than five inches could be of great importance, Claire knew that the impact of love could not be measured by the size of a person's figure, but by the size of their heart.

***TSFEW***

Claire wiped her eyes. She couldn't imagine losing Owen, and was starting to worry about how he must be coping with her death. She _was_ dead, wasn't she? It was very likely, given the fact that she could enter people's minds, as she soon discovered . . .

***TSFEW***

Owen isn't sure what happened last night. He's hungover like crazy, and his head feels like it's about to explode. He feels something else, too. His arms are wrapped around someone. Probably a mainland girl. Hopefully, she isn't ugly.

But when he opens his eyes, he sees red hair. This is no Costa Rican. It's Claire. Claire Dearing. The park manager.

Oh, shit. That was unexpected.

As soon as his mind clears up a little, Owen attempts to move his hand, only it's currently cupping- yeah, that isn't happening. Claire groans and shifts a little, sensing his motion, and he briefly wonders if he should let go of her before she wakes up fully or just keep still and hope for the best. Her ankle is between his calves right now, so he can't let her slip away without being obvious about it. They're both trapped.

And then a horrible thing happens: she sits up. After the initial tangle, she whips her head around and faces him, and when she realizes what must have transpired last night, her eyes go wide.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Good morning?"

"You're disgusting! I was drunk!"

Owen rubs his head.

"So was I."

"That's no excuse for what you did!"

"What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb!"

"Seriously. I don't remember a thing. Do you?"

She climbs out of bed, but realizes too late that she's completely naked. She squeaks and covers herself with both hands.

"Okay, that's starting to look a little familiar," Owen admits.

Claire makes an offended noise.

"You're despicable! Give me my clothes!"

"I don't know where they are!"

"WELL, FIND THEM!"

Owen gets out of bed, and when he does, Claire shields her eyes, covering herself by pulling a blanket over her front. Owen makes his way across the room and gathers loose garments wherever he can find them. They seem to be scattered randomly, and a great deal are hard to find. Her thong, for instance, is draped over a lamp, and he decides not to touch it because it looks moist. Whatever the reason is for that, it can't be good.

And there are other clues as to what transpired during those absent hours. Beer stains- at least, he _hopes_ it's beer- lipstick marks, stray sheets . . . It's like a zoo. Well, a really weird zoo. He doesn't know of any animals that eat whipped cream.

When he's salvaged what he can, Owen hands a pile of clothes to Claire, who dresses herself immediately. She is dismayed to find that many of her buttons have been torn off of her blouse, somehow. She holds it closed and looks down.

"Do you have any safety pins?"

"No. I don't even own that many shirts."

"Can I borrow one?"

Owen quirks a brow.

"You're gonna return it, right?"

She glares at him.

"This isn't funny. I'm humiliated."

"By what?"

"Don't toy with me, Owen."

"I seriously don't remember anything about last night, except that you kept bringing up microscopes for some reason . . ."

Claire marches up to him, and he backs away fearfully.

"If you tell a single soul what happened here, I will end you, understood?"

"There's nothing to tell. How am I supposed to brag about something I've forgotten?"

For a second, she looks ready to slap him. Then, she turns around sharply.

"Nevermind. Don't ever talk to me again."

"What, you mean _never_ ever? Can't we discuss this over coffee?"

"No."

As she reaches for the door handle, she touches her neck with her other hand and freezes. After looking around frantically for a bit, she starts shaking.

"Where's my necklace?"

"Dunno. What does it look like?"

She runs straight past him, tearing the bed apart.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

Owen frowns.

"Where did you last see it?"

She grabs her hair.

"I don't know! I was wearing it last night and-"

She dry-heaves. After a horrified pause, she turns to Owen.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out! You can't _be_ here!"

"This is my home-"

He shouts as she grabs him by the shirt and pushes him backwards towards the door.

"Go outside, and don't come in until I say it's okay."

"Claire, you can't-"

He gasps when he catches a glimpse of her hand. She hides it behind her back, taking shallow breaths. Owen stares at her with shock.

"Claire, what the hell-"

She keels over, and as he crouches down to help her up, she knocks him over with a horn that is sprouting from her forehead. Owen yelps, then backs away in terror as she chases him onto the bed. He stays there, holding onto the sheets with white knuckles as a dinosaur appears, breathing deep puffs of air. He tries to escape, but she lows and pushes him back in place. This continues for a half-hour. Then, out of nowhere, she begins to shrink, changing back into her human self. Owen continues to shiver on the bed.

"Claire . . ."

"Don't. Don't say it."

"Say what?"

"Anything."

"But you need help."

"No, I don't! Just help me find the necklace."

"Claire, we need to find someone who can help us. I'm not gonna let you run around as a were-dinosaur."

Immediately, her expression changes. Owen thinks she's afraid, but then she smiles. Something about the way she does it makes him uneasy.

"Owen, can't we talk about this?"

"Well, sure. That's what I was suggesting we-"

"No, not about . . . I mean, I'm talking about _us_."

"Us?"

She laughs.

"Yes, of course. Didn't you enjoy yourself last night?"

"I already told you: I don't remem-"

She pounces on him.

" _I_ remember . . ."

Owen blinks.

"You do?"

"Oh, yes. I know you liked it very, very much."

"Well, that seems likely, but-"

She runs her hands down his chest.

"I enjoyed myself, too. We should keep it going."

Owen gives a lopsided smile.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I figured out what's important. If we both have a good time, what's the harm in it?"

She kisses him, and he leans back on the bed, pinned down by her right hand. By this point, he's kissing her in return. His hand runs down her back. She chews on his lip and smiles.

"That's it. We'll have a good time. And you won't tell anyone about what you saw . . ."

Owen frowns.

"What?"

Claire gulps.

". . . I mean, it's not a problem. We'll do our thing, and you can forget all about what happened to me."

After a long silence, Owen's frown deepens.

"So that's how it is, huh?"

Claire bites her lip.

"Is there a problem with that?"

He stands up, and she falls back.

"Yes, actually, there is. Here I was thinking that you actually _cared_ , but I guess I'm just a means to an end for you."

"Owen-"

"Save it. I'm sick of your lies. I don't know why I ever liked you in the first place."

"Owen, please-"

She's backed up so far that she's outside. Owen glares at her, then shakes his head.

"I wish we could have both been spared the embarrassment of what happened today."

Her lips quivers.

"Owen-"

"That's what you said, right? You were _embarrassed_ by it all? Or was it 'humiliated'? Either way, we're done here."

He slams the door in her face. She pounds it frantically with one fist.

"OWEN!"

He grinds his teeth.

"Would you shut up?! You've done enough to ruin my day already! I'm not going to tell anyone about your stupid dinosaur thing, if that's what you're worried about!"

"No, I-"

"GO AWAY!"

He can hear her crying on the other side of the door. His heart pangs, but he turns away before he can think about it too hard. With a solemn expression, he begins to clean up a mess that's approximately half his fault.

An hour later, he receives another knock at the door. He's found Claire's necklace in the trash bin, and is expecting that she'll have sent her assistant to retrieve it. Instead, he sees Claire standing on his doorstep, wearing clean clothing and holding two cups of coffee, which come from an expensive shop at the park. She smiles uncertainly.

"Hi . . ."

"Hello."

"Can I come in?"

Owen rubs the back of his neck.

"I guess so . . ."

"I don't blame you if you don't want me to. What I did wasn't right. I'm sorry."

He's shocked by her words, but somehow, he manages to reply somewhat coherently.

"No, it was partly my fault. I'm still not sure what happened last night, but I don't think this was all on you."

"Did you mean the things you said?"

"When?"

"Last night."

"I don't-"

"I know. You don't remember. I wish you did. I was so happy . . ."

Owen looks down.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I think we should."

And they do. They talk, and they _keep_ talking long after the coffee is gone, and by the end of the night, they have both forgotten about the necklace.

***TSFEW***

Claire was slightly embarrassed. She seldom looked back on the time when she was not in love with Owen, but as much as she hated to admit it, that period was still a part of her history. If there was any comfort in seeing these avoided conflicts, it was that Claire and Owen always ended up together. Hopefully. She'd have to wait and see what the next world had in store.

***TSFEW***

"LEON!"

Claire jolted as Owen's voice rang across the raptor pen. He marched straight through her and pointed at a young boy who was fiddling with a gun.

"You crazy?! If you shoot one of my raptors, they'll never trust me again."

The boy flinched as Owen snatched the weapon from his hands forcefully, then put his arms behind his back.

"It's just electricity . . ."

"Why don't I pump that electricity into _you_ so you can tell me how you feel about it, huh? The next time I give you an order, you'd better not give me that sass. I've been at this for twenty-four years. I know what I'm doing."

Owen sighed with exasperation and marched over to a rack with several weapons of various size and shape. Once he had locked the stun gun in an empty space, he sat down on a bench nearby and rubbed his forehead.

"Am I the only competent person in this whole goddamn paddock?"

Barry peeked around the corner.

"I'm right here!"

Owen frowned.

"I didn't mean you. How am I supposed to manage while you're gone?"

Barry shrugged.

"It's gonna be rough, but I'm sure you'll do fine."

"If I could-"

Owen broke off as his phone started ringing. When he recognized the contact photo, his heart dropped.

"It's Claire!" he gasped, speaking with the same dumbfounded wonderment he'd be showing if he had just been called by Jesus Christ himself, "What do I do?"

Barry quirked a brow.

"Answer it."

"But I-"

"Don't keep her waiting, man."

Owen nodded and lifted the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Claire."

Her voice came from the other end, quavering feebly.

"Owen? . . . I was- I was wondering if I could come over."

"Come over?"

"To your shack."

Owen raised his eyebrows.

"It's a bungalow, but yeah, you're more than welcome to. What's this about?"

"I . . . I'll tell you when I get there."

Owen nodded, but realized she couldn't see him.

"Sounds good. I'll head over there now."

"You're not home?"

"It's only a five minute drive. Less, if I speed."

"Okay. Just . . . be there, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Owen let her hang up first, then turned to Barry.

"What do you make of that?"

"Sounds like sex."

"Doubt it. She's not my biggest fan right now, and she sounded kinda . . . _scared_ , I guess."

"Maybe it's hormones?"

"I don't think so. There's only one way to find out, and when I do, I'll tell you all about it. I'd better get going. Cover for me."

He jogged past Barry and hopped on his motorcycle. He did speed down the road, but his hurrying was for naught. Claire did not arrive for a good half hour. In this time, he pondered what could have shaken her up, and whether or not it had anything to do with him. He was pretty sure he wasn't in trouble, or she'd have sounded angrier on the phone. In a way, he wished she _was_ mad, because the mystery was eating away at his gut.

There was a knock at the door.

Owen dashed over to the front entranceway in a heartbeat, and when he opened the door, Claire immediately staggered into his bungalow with a very precarious gait. He turned to her with a furrowed brow, still holding the doorknob.

"Claire, what-"

"Close the door."

Owen cocked his head, but did as he was told. When it was shut, Claire stumbled over to the couch, leaning on the coffee table for support. Owen watched as she sat down clumsily.

"Claire, I think you'd better take off those heels of yours . . ."

"It's not the heels."

Owen waited for her to elaborate, but she did not explain further. When he sat down beside her, she continued to stare forward, refusing to acknowledge him as she spoke.

"Owen, what I'm about to show you can't leave this room."

His eyes went wide.

"Claire, is this something you should be telling me about?"

She turned to him with tears in her eyes.

"I can't trust anyone else. I know you'll do as I say. I need help, and more importantly, I need this to be a secret."

Owen fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Claire, this doesn't sound like the kind of thing I'm equipped to handle."

She stared at him for a moment, then got up suddenly.

"You know what? You're right. It was stupid to come here."

Owen followed her as she crossed the room with her legs wobbling.

"Now, wait, I didn't say I wouldn't help you. I just don't know if I can-"

Claire tripped, and she stepped forward on a reflex. When she did, her right shoe slipped from her foot . . . only it wasn't a foot. It was a hoof.

Owen stared at the appendage with horror, and Claire did not so much as blink. The two of them stood frozen in place, knowing that they had passed the point of no return. There was no pussyfooting around the issue: it would have to be addressed right here, right now. Owen took a panicked breath.

"Claire, what-"

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME, BUT I NEED IT TO STOP!"

She kicked off her other shoe, revealing an identical hoof. Owen gulped as she turned to face him, extending her arms with a deep frown crinkling her brow.

"HELP ME!"

Owen backed away.

"I don't know what to do!"

He flinched as Claire sprinted over to the couch and jumped on it, weeping into her arms like a teenager.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die . . ."

Owen gulped and sat down next to her, patting her shoulder awkwardly.

"You're not gonna die, Claire. It's just a couple of hooves. We can fix this."

"How?!"

"Like I said, I don't know, but we'll find a way."

He lifted her foot to examine the strange ungulae, but she kicked him away.

"Don't touch them."

"Well, I need to know what we're dealing with . . ."

She whimpered as he leaned over to examine the hooves. They were brown and cloven, and while the skin around them was still human-colored, Claire's heels had stretched out ever so slightly. After fiddling with the growths, Owen came to a relatively solid conclusion.

"Cow."

"What?"

"They're cow hooves."

Judging by her agonized wail, this was not the news she was hoping for.

Claire slept over that evening, and although Owen had been hoping for this very situation, it was not what he had been expecting. He offered to give up the bed, but remembering that he hadn't washed the sheets since his last tumble with a girl from the mainland, backtracked and said she'd be better off on the couch. She agreed with him wholeheartedly, and he wondered if she knew about his escapades somehow, but she didn't so much as hint at it. The next morning, he awoke to find her standing by his bed, staring down at him in an unsettling way.

"I need your razor."

"Good morning?"

"Where do you keep your razor?"

"In the bathroom. What's it for?"

Claire lifted her leg onto the bed and pulled down her sock. Coarse, red hair was beginning to sprout from her ankles. It was thickest where it met her hooves. Owen thought he might throw up.

"There's no way I'm letting you shave that. It's too wiry. It'll ruin the blade."

Claire grabbed her hair and slid her hands up the side of her head.

"Well, I don't know what else to do. I'm freaking out, Owen! This is embarrassing!"

He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Alright. Let's figure something out, then. I'm sure you're not the first."

As it turned out, she wasn't. The Internet was a treasure trove of odd stories involving this cow transition, none of which had a happy ending. There was no known cure, it seemed, and research relating to one was not being funded. After an hour of frantic searching, Claire gave up and flung herself on the couch once more, burying her face in the blanket (which Owen had provided) while bunching it up in her hands. She sobbed and sobbed and sobbed, and all Owen could do was look out the window. How could one deal with such things, when they hadn't been through it, themselves?

Well, it got a whole lot worse the next day. Practically all of Claire's legs had succumbed to the disease, and she avoided walking for this reason. When she moved, her body somewhat resembled some strange Greek monster, and for obvious reasons, she wasn't happy with this association.

"Am I still pretty?" she whispered as Owen made her supper, breaking a three hour long silence.

"What kind of a question is that?"

Claire sat up on the couch, hair tangled and wild.

"A reasonable one. All I want to know is if I'm still attractive."

Owen sighed and turned off the stove.

"Well, 'pretty' and 'attractive' are two different things."

"And I'm neither."

She groaned and sunk back into the blanket, tucking her bovine legs away. Owen brought her a bowl of pasta.

"Don't be so upset. It's not the end of the world."

"How can you _say_ that?"

"Because it's true."

Claire gave a distressed whine.

"It's the end of _my_ world! No one's going to love me as a cow!"

"I'm sure _someone_ will take care of you."

"That's not the same as loving. I don't want to be a pet. I don't want to be a show-cow. I want someone to keep me around because they _want_ to, not because they feel responsible or want to turn a profit from me."

"You gonna be a dairy cow?"

"I would have to breed first."

"No, thanks."

"Asshole. But you're right. Even if I _could_ have a baby, I wouldn't _want_ to."

"Because it's your personal preference, or because it could end up a freaky hybrid?"

"Both."

"It's up to you, I guess."

"Not anymore."

He cradled her against his chest, hoping it would mend the situation somewhat, but she only started weeping again.

"I can feel a tail coming in," she hiccoughed.

Owen tried to hide his disgust, but Claire saw his wince and broke down further.

Indeed, the next day, the beginnings of a tail had sprouted from her behind. It was short, but there was no doubt it would grow. Claire did her best to keep it from moving, but her ever-changing muscles made it swing back and forth occasionally, which only caused more tears. She held the dreadful thing in her hands, staring at it intensely before making a crucial decision. She dropped the tail and shuffled up to Owen methodically.

"I saw an axe in your yard."

"Yeah?"

"Is it sharp?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can I use it?"

"On what?"

"My . . ."

She almost choked on the word.

". . . tail."

Owen looked up from the magazine he had been reading.

"What?"

"I know it won't stop me from changing, but I can't live with a tail. It's humiliating."

Owen's mouth hung open.

"Claire, that's gonna hurt real bad."

"I know. In the long run, it'll be more painful to have it."

Owen rubbed the back of his neck.

"I dunno, Claire . . . How are you gonna swing the axe properly? What if you miss?"

"Can _you_ do it?"

Owen grimaced.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable . . ."

"Please. I'm asking you as a friend."

Owen sighed.

"Let's wait for it to grow out fully, then we'll talk. There's no sense in removing it when there's more coming."

Claire squeaked unstably, but nodded. Owen was glad to avoid further discussion.

The day after the next, however, she marched up to him holding her now fully-grown tail, and he realized that she was not going to give up on her foolish idea.

"I'm positive it's stopped growing now. Grab some bandages and meet me outside."

Reluctantly, he did what she had instructed, trying not to imagine the bloody stub that he would have to look at for months to come. Undoubtedly, he'd have to carry away her limp, dead tail too, because she would need intensive care after he lopped it off, and probably wouldn't be able to stomach handling it. It was all up to him. That being said, as soon as he stepped outside, he knew he wouldn't go through with it. Claire was being ridiculous, and nothing illustrated this point better than the image of her sitting on a tree stump with her tail lying straight behind her, hands folded in her lap as though she was trying to look feminine on a bus. Owen grabbed the axe and stood behind her, and the base of her tail twitched out of instinct.

"Make sure you get it on the first go, and get as close to the body as you can without chopping up my . . . other parts."

Owen lifted the axe a little.

"Are you sure you want this?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes, Owen! Just get it over with!"

"Alright . . ."

He lifted the axe over his head, watching as her face tensed up. He could tell that the idea of being mutilated troubled her (obviously), but she was too stubborn to give up. As the blade reflected light across her face, her shoulders bunched up, and her tail began to tremble as though it had a mind of its own, and the only thing keeping it from whipping out of the way was Claire's insistence that it deserved an execution. The anticipation was damn near killing her, nonetheless.

Instead of hacking off the appendage, Owen lifted his right leg suddenly and stomped on it. Claire howled and fell forward, grabbing the ropy limb and holding against her chest involuntarily. Owen stood over her as she sobbed.

"You feel that? Imagine how much worse it would have been if I'd actually gone through with it."

Claire's tears of pain turned to tears of hate, and she stood up, tail whipping back and forth angrily.

"You asshole!"

"I'm only telling the truth. You're not strong enough to-"

She slapped him so hard that he fell back on his behind and dropped the axe.

"You stupid man! You're more of a coward than _I_ am, if you can't even chop off a silly little t-"

In her anger, she had swung her tail so hard that it tapped her waist, and this contact made her jump. She stared over her shoulder at the tail that refused to stop swinging, and realized that this _thing_ was now a part of her. She dug her left hoof into the ground, then charged into Owen's bungalow, slamming the door behind her. Owen followed soon after, rubbing his cheek, which was still stinging from the blow.

Claire did not forgive Owen for what he had done, exactly, but she _did_ show up in the rooms he occupied every now and then. She had covered her waist and chest with blankets, which she had fashioned into crude (and presumably permanent) clothing, but it was still very obvious what had happened. Nevertheless, she made her way around Owen's kitchen, preparing a meal for herself. Owen wasn't sure if she realized that she had piled so many vegetables onto her plate, but he wasn't keen to ask. In order to avoid her for a couple of hours, he had picked up his own lunch at the park, and he unwrapped it at the same table Claire was using (which was the only suitable dining space in the house). When he did, she stopped eating. Owen frowned.

"Claire, this is _my_ house, so you ought to at least let me eat at the table."

She ignored his remark and pointed at the object in his hands.

"What the hell is _that_?"

He shrugged.

"Takeout. I made a trip to the park."

Claire looked like she was about to throw up. Owen rolled his eyes.

"Look, I know it's not the healthiest lunch, but they have limited options. They don't exactly sell regular food, and the lines are atrocious, so I'm lucky I even got a burger at a-"

He realized what he was saying.

"Oh, shit . . ."

He let the patty drop, and Claire stared at it with wide eyes. Owen wondered if she was pondering her eventual fate.

"Claire, I'm not gonna eat you."

She whimpered.

"You're eating a cow!"

"Uh, no, actually. Hamburgers are made of steers, which are like boy cows, only they cut off their balls- You know, I might not finish this after all . . ."

Claire's lip quivered.

"You did this on purpose."

Owen shook his head rapidly.

"I didn't! I swear!"

"You're sending me a message."

"I'm not! Do you know how many food products come from cows? There's burgers, hot dogs, milk, glue . . ."

"You don't _eat_ glue!"

"Well, not since kindergarten, but my point is that people rely on cows in the food industry."

"So you're gonna sell me for meat?"

"What?! I never said that! I never even _implied_ -"

Tears began to sting at her eyes.

"I'll bet you could afford a fancy, new car with the money I'd rake in! I'll bet you have it picked out and everything!"

"First of all, I'm happy with my motorcycle. Second, you wouldn't be worth that much."

"You're saying I'm _worthless_?!" she shrieked.

Owen fell back in his chair and sighed.

"See, this is why I never argue with women. Stop being paranoid, Claire. I'm not going to send you to the glue factory."

"A ranch, then?"

"No."

"The rodeo?"

"No. I'm keeping you here."

"This isn't my home."

"Keeping you here until we figure something out, I mean."

Claire sniffled and stood up. Owen noticed that she was more rickety than usual.

"You don't really care about me. You only kept me here because you felt like you had to. You made a promise to Human Claire, but once I lose my voice, you won't care how I feel."

"That's not true . . ."

She staggered away.

"It is. I'm as good as dead here. These are my final days. This cow disease is terminal, and I only hope I lose my mind so I don't have to feel anything when you betray me."

She fell on the bed, and pulled the blanket over her cow parts. Ignoring the lump beneath the sheets, she looked almost normal. Owen stood up and made his way over to the bed. He sat beside her and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I didn't mean anything by it. You don't have to worry about me selling you or anything. I'm keeping you here for as long as I need to."

"But you don't _want_ me here."

"No. I want you to be better. I want you to be happy."

"I'll be happy as a cow, if I manage to forget what I used to be. I'll stand in your back yard and graze on your lawn, and poop all over the place."

"No you won't, Claire. I'll keep you indoors. I'll give you proper food, and you'll poop in the bathtub if you need to."

"So you'd be okay with keeping an animal in your house?"

"You're human, Claire. Even if you look like a cow, that don't change nothing. I won't disrespect you by treating you like livestock."

"Even if I poop all over?"

"Well, when people have health issues, they poop all over too, but you don't see them eating out of a trough."

"But I'll make a mess."

"I'll know it's not your fault. You wouldn't want to poop on the carpet in a regular context, I assume."

"I wouldn't."

"Right, so I won't treat you like you're an animal when you do those things. Even when you're a cow, you won't really be a cow, because you don't _want_ to be a cow."

"What if being a cow makes me want to be a cow?"

"If being a cow tampers with your mind, that's not your fault. I think it's safe to say that you don't really want to be a cow, considering you tried to convince me to amputate your cow-parts."

Claire laughed weakly, then began to shake.

"Owen, I'm scared."

"I know. But I'll be here for you. I'll protect you, and accept you no matter what."

"Even as a cow?"

"Even as a cow."

She lifted her head a little.

"Owen, I'm not asking you if you'll accept me when I'm a cow, but I want to know if you'll accept me _as_ a cow."

He blinked.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at."

She sighed and lay back down.

"That's okay. Let's just make this as painless as possible."

She lay in his bed for days after, never getting up once. Owen brought her food and water, but she barely ate or drank. She simply lay on her side with her baggy, vacant eyes staring at the wall, still as a statue. The only reason Owen knew for sure that she was still alive was that the blanket covering her was constantly migrating up her body as she changed.

Owen sensed that this would be the last time he'd hear her voice, as her human anatomy was slowly fading away. Even so, he couldn't think of anything he needed to hear from her. Despite this, he checked if she had lost her voice regularly. They practically had a script after the first few times.

"Claire?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

Eventually, her "what" became a hum, and Owen wondered if she was too afraid to speak, for fear that she'd discover she couldn't. He realized how difficult this must be for her, so he attempted to comfort the poor creature. The blankets were up to her shoulders now, and the bump beneath the covers was larger than what remained visible. He lifted the edge of the top sheet a little to hold her hand, but found a bare hoof in its place. She pulled it deeper under the covers without looking at him. Feeling awkward, he ran his fingers through her hair, and when it detached from her scalp in clumps, he panicked and let it be. It was unfair, he thought, that she had to lose her hair when the rest of her body was becoming prickly with fur.

Soon, only her face was showing. All Owen could do was set a bowl of porridge in front of her every now and then. He learned to place it close enough for her to lick, as she had accidentally revealed an ear when she leaned forward too far, and seemed upset by this. Owen, on the other hand, learned something. From this brief glance, he determined that she wasn't the kind of cow that had horns, and he wondered why he was so deeply unsurprised by this. He didn't think about it too hard.

There came a time when she did not show herself at all. This was puzzling, as Owen could not make out the shape of a cow head under the blanket, but whatever she looked like, it must not be pretty. Even so, the covers would need changing eventually, as he was beginning to smell stale sweat when he was around her. Furthermore, he refused to let her wet the bed or worse, and decided it was time to address the elephant in the room, which happened to be a cow.

"Claire?"

No reply.

Owen poked the mass under the covers.

"Claire, you need to get up."

She shook her head, still concealed.

"You don't have a choice. I need to wash the sheets."

When she shook her head a second time, Owen rolled his eyes and grabbed the corner of the spread.

"Don't be ridiculous! I need-"

When her face was in full view, Owen shouted in surprise. This caused her to moo in panic and leap off the bed, dragging the heaviest blanket halfway across the room before bursting out the front door and bolting into the jungle.

Owen did not come to grips with the fact that she had run away for a few minutes. Images of her deformed face were still flashing through his mind. He pictured her filled-in cheeks and flat nose, which was flushed pink at the bottom. It was as though her head was made of Play-Doh, and someone had stretched it out by the muzzle until she was halfway cow and halfway Claire. This putrid image haunted his vision, but when he snapped out of his terror, he realized that his repulsion had driven her away, maybe for good. He felt like an idiot for letting his disgust show. Now, Claire was out in the wilderness, which made things significantly worse than ever before.

And it was all Owen's fault.

Guilt ate away at his gut for the next two days, but he did not go looking for Claire. He knew that she wanted to be left alone, and if she could find it in her heart to forgive him, she'd return on her own. He was partly right, but what drew her to his bungalow was a tropical storm, which seemed determined to beat down the roof. Through this noise, however, he picked up the sound of someone knocking at the door clumsily, and he knew- in a cosmic way, almost- that it must be Claire. As he made his way to the entrance, he calmed himself, as prepared as he could reasonably be for whatever monstrous shape she had taken now. But she was no monster. The figure on his porch was (both surprisingly and not) a cow, plain and simple. Owen's heart sunk at the sight of her, not because of her hideous appearance, but because she channeled infinite shame and self-loathing through her droopy ears and hanging tail. She was soaked from head to toe- or hoof, as it were. It was the saddest sight Owen had ever laid eyes upon, and his heart ached because of it.

"Come in."

She took a couple of hesitant steps into his house, head held low. She seemed timid, almost, but she was in no position to deny the warmth and shelter he provided. Owen closed the door and made his way to the kitchen to feed her, but she did not follow.

"Claire?"

She mooed quietly.

"You can come in all the way."

She shook her head.

"Why not?"

She held up a muddy hoof. Her entire underbelly, Owen noticed, was covered in thick filth and scratches, though he couldn't imagine what might have caused this. Claire winced as she dripped on the carpet, then tried to make herself as small as possible. Owen bit his lip.

"Oh, Claire, don't worry about that. Head on over to the bathroom and wash up. I'll clean the floor later."

Claire tiptoed guiltily down the hall as Owen rummaged through the fridge. He jumped in surprise when he heard a loud clatter. Fearing Claire had hurt herself, he rushed to the rescue, but found her standing in the bathtub unharmed, gazing sadly at the showerhead which had fallen from her mouth. Owen sighed and picked it up, waiting for the water to warm up before spraying her down. She seemed mildly embarrassed by the gesture, but grateful, nonetheless.

He wet her face, and she sneezed loudly as he moved down her neck. The water turned brown when he reached the more filthy areas of her body, and he wondered if it was enough to clog the drain. He wiped her side with his hand as water ran over it, and Claire's big, dark cow-eyes stared ahead blankly once more. She lifted her hooves one by one for him to clean, as daintily as any real animal, then allowed him to rinse her tail briefly before swatting him instinctually, leaving a spray of water on the mirror. She gave an apologetic moo, but he ignored her and turned off the faucet. After holstering the showerhead, he grabbed a towel and patted her dry, with the exception of her udder, which he flung the towel against to avoid having to touch it directly.

When she was dry enough, he led her into the kitchen, where she ate very little. He waited for her to slip into his bed, but instead, she lay on the carpet, legs bent awkwardly by her belly. Owen wasn't sure what she was doing, but he detected sadness in her eyes, and realized that she didn't feel worthy of a bed. Had she been able to cry, Owen was sure she'd be weeping right now. He sat beside her for comfort, leaning against her warmer-than-usual body, and stroked her snout. As snot dripped from her nose, he wiped it away with his sleeve, then let her rest her chin on his knee. They fell asleep this way.

Owen took the next few days off work, and nobody seemed to question this, as they were more preoccupied with Claire's sudden disappearance. Someone would have to be told eventually, Owen supposed, but for now, he was going to help Claire on a more personal level, rather than let the board decide what was to be done. He fed her and brushed her and gave her everything she needed, including an udder cozy, which he fashioned out of a wool hat and the cut-up fingers of his old gloves. Claire gave him access to her bank account, since he wouldn't be able to afford certain expenses on his own, and he was slightly jealous when he discovered that she was being paid even though she hadn't worked for days. Still, that benefitted him in the long run, and he came home with hand cream that had (appropriately) been derived from what farmers used on cows' udders. Not surprisingly, she did not let him apply the lotion himself.

One morning, Owen found Claire sucking on the handle of his motorcycle, and realized that she needed salt. He came home with a jar of pickles, which they shared as they watched a movie on his crappy little TV set. She licked the container clean, then dragged her tongue over Owen's cheek repeatedly. He grinned and scratched behind her ears.

"Don't you think you've had enough salt?"

Claire made a noise that almost sounded like laughter.

After that, they became closer, both emotionally and physically. Claire would often stand by Owen's side, and since he didn't want her to get bored, he rambled on and on to fill the silence. He ended up telling her his life story, including some parts that were deeply private and personal, but she wasn't about to blab to anyone, so it wasn't a big deal. She continued to lick and nuzzle his face, though he assumed it was just a cow habit, and nothing more.

He only began to question the nature of their relationship when she carried the udder cream to where he was seated and dropped it in his lap. When he didn't respond, she nudged it forward with her nose, then turned around. Owen told himself that she was simply getting more comfortable around him, and needed someone with hands to apply it properly. The way she mooed when he touched her made him unspeakably uncomfortable, however, and he had to wonder if he was indeed being sexually harassed by a cow.

Even if that were the case, Claire bore no ill intent, as she seemed oblivious to his unease. This may have been in part due to the fact that he had pursued her before her transformation, and she simply assumed that nothing had changed since then (except for her body, of course). She often held him against her brisket area, long legs folded across his chest in a crisscross angle, and she would gently run her upper lip over his hair, breathing a puff of warm air every now and then. He tried not to let his discomfort show, since he didn't want to offend her, but he knew that he would have to come clean eventually. Part of him didn't want to upset her, since she seemed to be happier than ever (in her cow-ish way), but this relationship was getting too intimate, and he didn't want to be known as the boyfriend of a cow. Although she seemed to believe the contrary, Claire was holding back his love life significantly, and there was no shame in telling her that . . . was there?

Well, he never did manage to find the words, and poor Claire went on believing that he was still interested in a full out relationship. She was walking along the beach by his bungalow one day when she was struck with a brilliant idea. She dug her hoof into the sand and began to write, moving down the shore as she completed each word. She started off clunkily at first, but after a few minutes, the text spilled out of her, and she created a beautiful proclamation of love. When she had dotted the final sentence, she beamed proudly and waited for Owen to return from his trip to the raptor pen. When he did, she dragged him forward by the shirt, urging him to read her work. When he finally understood her prompt, he followed her to the sand, and to her horror, it had mostly washed away. The tide had come in while she waited, it seemed, and all that was left of her message was a couple of words, including "accept" and "forever". She sat down on her rump and mooed in defeat, but Owen patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"That's okay, Claire. You could always just write it out on paper."

But she _couldn't_ just write it out on paper. The brilliance of her message had been lost forever, and she wasn't sure she could recreate it. That didn't stop her from trying. She took a pen in her mouth and scribbled furiously, trying to make her words legible and somewhat unified. She was frowning so hard that Owen expected sweat to come dripping off her temples, if she could even sweat at all. Then, when it was as finished as it could be, Claire ripped off the final page and handed her essay to Owen. He sat on the couch and began to read.

After a few minutes of staring at him in silence, Claire decided that he wasn't a particularly fast reader, so she began to pace in front of where he was seated. Whenever he twisted his mouth or raised his eyebrows, she'd slow down and flatten her ears. She was afraid that her love letter was insufficient, and regretted losing the first one, which in her opinion was much better. Then, Owen set the pages on the coffee table and took a deep breath. Claire perked her ears hopefully.

"I gotta say, I'm flattered that you feel this way, especially since you wouldn't give me a chance before all of this happened."

Claire smiled as much as her cow-lips would allow.

"But . . ."

Immediately, her muzzle drooped, and her ears folded backwards in panic.

". . . you have to understand that I'm not used to this kind of life. There's barely room for _me_ in this bungalow, let alone a permanent resident."

Claire bit her lip.

"I mean, I'm not trying to make a crack about your size or anything, but the simple fact is that I'm not keen on letting _anyone_ into my life right now, and maybe a cow more than most."

Claire gulped. Her ears were hanging by her cheeks now. Owen rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm sorry you wasted your time writing all of this, and I should have been honest with you beforehand, but I'm sure a part of you always knew that this wouldn't work. I mean, that's why you were so upset about this in the first place, right? I'm not even sure why you came to me, considering I'm not the kind of person who can take care of a cow for an extended period of time, given my current lifestyle."

Claire gave a quiet moo. Owen stood up and patted her cheek lightly.

"Don't feel bad, Claire. It's not just because you're a cow, though that has something to do with it. We're just on different wavelengths, as far as relationships go. You want something serious, and I just can't see myself settling down, especially with a- . . . with a woman like you. Again, nothing personal, but I'm just not ready to commit to a romantic attachment, especially one as complicated as this. There's no guarantee that it will work, and besides, you didn't even want me in the first place, so why settle for less? I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who'd be okay with taking care of a cow, and when you find someone who does, you can marry him and have lots of children- or maybe not, since you said you didn't want that."

Claire did not make a sound. She stared ahead vacantly, deep in thought. Owen tried to tell himself that she was okay with his reaction, and that her face always looked sad regardless of her mood, but he sensed that maybe it was actually channeling her true emotions right now.

"You're not upset, are you?"

Claire snapped to attention suddenly and shook her head very quickly, ears flopping around like flatbread. Owen let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, good. I was really worried for a second," he laughed, "I wasn't sure if you were serious about what you said in the note, but I think maybe you're just in a weird stage right now. You never expressed interest in marriage before, so it might just be hormones or something- do cows have different hormones?"

Claire gave a brief moo.

"I don't know, either. In any case, don't beat yourself up over this. I think it'd be best to just stay friends, you know? I mean, I really like you, and I don't want to lose what we have. It's just that I don't want to be stuck with it forever, either. You know what they say about mixing milk and meat."

Claire nodded slowly. Owen patted her cheek and made his way to the kitchen.

"Thanks for understanding. Do you feel like pasta again?"

She said nothing.

"We'll go with that. It's all I have, anyway. Good thing I still have enough sauce. It's pretty expensive."

He filled a bowl with tap water and placed it on the stove.

"I was thinking, it might be a good idea to look into cow-feed. It'd be cheaper to buy in bulk, and we wouldn't need as much as farmers, because I don't have a whole her-"

The door clicked. Owen lifted his head.

"Claire?"

She was no longer in the house. After a few seconds of horrified silence, Owen dashed outside and scanned his front yard.

"Claire? . . . Claire? . . ."

No reply.

"CLAIRE?!"

He looked all over, but she was nowhere to be found. With a dismal sigh, Owen sat down on the porch and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Shit . . ."

He waited hours for her to return, pacing back and forth on the lawn or going inside and peeking out the window, but Claire did not show up. This concerned him greatly. Unlike last time, he had a bad feeling that she wouldn't be coming back.

It wasn't his fault, though. Sure, he had been a little hard on her, but she was the one who wanted to force him into a relationship. How was he supposed to deal with her for the rest of his life? Being tethered to another person ruined them forever. Owen didn't want that with Claire. The troubles and conflict that came with a permanent union would make them hate each other. There was a reason a third of people got divorced, after all. As far as Owen was concerned, he'd rather keep the best parts of his relationships without having to deal with the messy stuff.

Then again, things hadn't exactly worked out in the past. More often than not, the girls he brought home vanished in a matter of days, never to be seen again. Of course, Owen didn't really care about them like he cared about Claire, and he probably wouldn't have shown them as much charity if they came to his bungalow on all fours. Claire was different. He genuinely liked her as a person, even when his affection was not returned. Through her bitchy, neurotic exterior, he could see a hint of something that fascinated him, and he wanted very badly to keep that light close to his heart . . . or possibly his crotch. He wasn't sure which.

During the past few days, that warmth inside of Claire came out at full force. He could see it when she rolled around in the grass. He could see it when she gave her cow-ish smiles. He could see it when she swatted him playfully with her tail as she passed by, like they shared some sort of secret game that only she knew about. She was coy and sweet and playful and sassy, and they really got along because of it. He enjoyed spending time with her. It was like they had known each other their entire life, and had long ago formed a friendship without boundaries. And he wanted so badly- _so badly_ \- for their relationship to stay that way, but in his experience, as soon as casual affection evolved into something more serious, it was all downhill from there. He didn't want to be kept awake by her snoring or gag as she chewed cud at the table. All those little things that became so much worse when people moved in together were like nails in a coffin, and he didn't want their love to die if he could keep it on life support. Well, he had kind of killed it a few hours ago, but that was completely unintentional.

Of course, it was kind of ridiculous to talk about their friendship like it was love, since Claire was a cow, and he was not. Well, to be honest, it wasn't so much the fact that she was a cow, since he could easily look past that, but there was definitely something troubling about having to live with her forever, and especially in this shape. So much could go wrong, and it wasn't worth the risk.

Owen felt a twinge of guilt when he recalled that Claire had been expecting something more from him, and he knew for a fact that she _also_ had reservations about perpetual commitment, but she clearly believed that it was worth enduring the rough patches. Owen wanted to feel that way too, but on the other hand, he was so afraid of losing what he loved that he had unintentionally thrown it away.

The more he thought about it, the more Owen regretted his decision. He picked up Claire's note to read her message more carefully, and was surprised by how honest it was. On his first go, he had assumed that she was being slightly ironic, because how could someone like her ever confess these things genuinely? Perhaps she had finally let go of her Park Manager aura and decided to put her heart on the line. That made his reaction so much worse. Claire had swallowed her pride and bared her heart to him, pushing her reputation and dignity to the side, and in return, he had refused to sacrifice aspects of his life that he found equally important. She had been counting on him to have enough faith in her and their relationship to at least give it a try, and he shot her down without a second thought. He suddenly felt very selfish. A chill ran down his spine as he considered the possibility that he might be just like his father, but he quickly realized that this was not an accurate comparison. Owen's father hadn't left because he was afraid of losing love: he didn't value the love he already had. He left to find a more satisfying life, but Owen's life was just how he wanted it. The only thing missing was Claire.

Owen frowned with determination. It was not up to Claire to come to him, and it was unlikely that she'd even want to when he'd given the impression that he was completely disinterested in a meaningful relationship. Now, he was more certain than ever that it was worth putting up with a red hair in the sink every now and then if it meant he would have her by his side, now and forever. They wouldn't be stuck _with_ each other, but stuck _together_ , if that made sense. He'd have to find a better way to explain it to her once he tracked her down. In the meantime, he would have to think of a suitable apology. Considering the gravity of his screw-up, it would have to be pretty damn impressive, but even if it wasn't, he had a feeling that once she saw his willingness to mend their bond, she'd understand and take him back. Hopefully. There was always a chance that she'd kick him in the crotch and move to the prairies. In any case, he was more than willing to risk genital injury if it meant he'd have another shot.

Owen was about to step boldly into the wilderness when his phone rang. He lifted it out of his pocket with annoyance, furious that someone had dared to interrupt his emotional epiphany. The number belonged to the new employee at the raptor paddock, which meant that the situation could range from a simple misunderstanding to some violent disaster. Owen decided to answer it, if only to tell his trainee to shut up.

"Hello?"

'Hi, Owen? Is it safe to feed the raptors tranquillized animals?'

Owen frowned with confusion.

"Why the hell would you tranquilize it?"

'We think it got out of the pen. It was wandering by the cliffs.'

Owen rubbed his forehead.

"I don't think it should be a problem. The raptors might get a buzz, but that's about it. Maybe wait for a few minutes before lowering it down, just in case."

'Okay. Thanks, Owen.'

He hung up without replying. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for the journey ahead. As he lifted his foot, the phone rang again. He whipped it out of his pocket and clenched his teeth.

"WHAT?!"

'It's making a lot of noise.'

Owen groaned.

"Who cares? It's just a pig. Pigs make noises."

'It's not a pig.'

"Well, what the hell _is_ it?"

'A bull.'

Owen groaned.

"It's called a steer. Steers don't have balls."

'Gross . . . Okay, they're sedating it more. Are you _sure_ it won't poison the raptors?'

"I don't give a rat's ass! I have more important things to worry about."

'But the raptors-'

"Enough! Leave me alone!"

There was an annoyed huff from the other end.

'Fine, but just so you know, it's definitely a bull. It has big, pink balls.'

Owen slapped his forehead.

"Leon, if you call me one more time, you're fired."

'Please don't fire me.'

"Then don't bother me!"

'Sure thing. I think you might be right about it being a steer, by the way. It doesn't even have ho-'

Owen hung up and flung his phone into the lake. It disappeared with a gentle plink. Owen clapped his hands together cheekily, but suddenly became very still. Something about Leon's comment was making him nervous. First of all, the steer had no horns, which didn't seem normal. Second, hadn't he said something about big, pink balls? If Owen didn't know any better, he'd swear he was referring to . . . an udder.

Owen's heart sunk through his feet.

"CLAIRE!"

He scrambled onto his motorcycle and sped down the road, going three times faster than he had in his entire life. His heart thudded in his ears, drowning out the engine's hum. As soon as the raptor paddock came into view, he shouted at the top of his lungs, but no one was close enough to hear him. Leaping off his motorcycle before it had come to a complete stop, he rushed to the gate and looked up. Claire was sitting in a harness, being lowered into the pen by the feeding-crane. Her legs dangled a few feet above the raptors, who were starting to jump up and snap their jaws in anticipation. Claire seemed too drugged-up to notice. Her face was blank and her body limp. Owen thought his heart might burst open right then and there.

"CLAIRE!"

The raptors circled her, snarling. Owen banged his fist on the cage bars.

"STOP IT! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Charlie turned, and seeing his face, shuffled backwards slightly. Echo stood still.

"BLUE! DELTA! FREEZE!"

Reluctantly, Delta backed away. Blue continued to snarl and snap. Claire's hooves were inches away from her bared teeth.

Realizing that he had no time to stop the crane, Owen instead grabbed a shock gun and opened the door to the cage. He shot Blue square in the chest as she made a leap for Claire's cannon. The raptor convulsed as she tumbled through the air, then lay twitching in the sand, and when she tried to get up, Owen shot her again. The other three dinosaurs sped away in panic, now terrified of their alpha.

Owen sprinted over to Claire, whose hooves had just touched down. He pulled a knife from his belt and cut her loose, then let her lean on him as they hobbled out of the paddock, closing the door behind them. She walked a little ways more before mooing dizzily and collapsing in the sand, where Owen ran his hands over her withers.

"Claire? Claire, are you okay?"

He lifted each hoof, examining her fetlocks for bites or scratches. Aside from the effects of the sedatives, she was perfectly healthy.

"Oh, Claire, I'm so, so sorry. I should never have pushed you away. I didn't mean what I said. I want us to be a couple, and I don't care that you're a cow or that we'll be spending the rest of our lives together. I love you, and I will never stop loving you, even when you snore and chew cud."

She blinked. Owen rubbed her neck firmly and laughed with relief.

"Claire, we're gonna have a wonderful life together. We'll get married and live in a big, cozy house and have lots of freaky little cow-babies . . . or adopt, if you even want children at all . . ."

She started drooling in the sand. Owen wiped her mouth with his sleeve.

"What am I saying? You're high as a kite. I'm sorry I told them to feed you to the raptors. I didn't know . . ."

She groaned and let her tongue flop out of her mouth. Owen pressed his forehead against her cheek.

"It's okay, Claire. We're gonna be fine, you and me. I'll tell them I want a better job, and if they won't give me one, I'll make them promote you. I don't know how, but I'll find a way . . ."

Claire blew a snot bubble. Owen lifted her head with both hands and looked into her eyes.

"Can I tell you something, Claire?"

She mooed.

"I love you."

He leaned forward and gave her a kiss. Claire's eyes went wide. She gave a surprised hum, then smiled. When they pulled apart, she licked his cheek. He laughed and hugged her snout.

"I'm sorry for what I said, Claire. I didn't mean any of it."

She blew hot air in his face.

"Does that mean you forgive me?"

She pressed her nose against his temple. He smiled.

"Okay. I promise not to do it again."

Claire rolled her eyes. Owen leaned forward for another kiss, but suddenly, Leon came huffing and puffing along the perimeter of the paddock.

"You said not to use guns on th- why are you hugging the bull?"

Owen quirked a brow.

"She's not a bull. She's Claire."

Leon scratched his head.

"You sure? It has horns . . ."

Owen looked up. Sure enough, Claire had sprouted two pink horns when he wasn't looking. He ran his hand over them with wonderment.

"So she does . . . But it's still Claire."

Leon's eyes darted back and forth.

"Okay . . ."

Owen smiled and helped Claire to her feet.

"I'm taking a few days off."

"Why?"

"To sort out some stuff."

"When will you be back?"

"Depends. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it."

"What about the raptors?"

Owen shrugged.

"They'll be fine. You can take care of them from now on. I don't need them anymore, and they're wild enough to fend for themselves if you screw up. I'm done with dinosaurs. I'd rather spend time with another breed."

Leon watched him stroll away casually. Unsure of how to proceed, he put his hands in his pockets and kicked up dust. When he realized that his boss was gone for good, he shrugged and decided to take the rest of the day off.

As for Owen, he kept his promise, and lived a long and happy life with Claire, and best of all, he got his milk for free.

***TSFEW***

Claire's heart glowed as she witnessed Owen's emotional breakthrough, but she was still a little put off by the idea of becoming an actual, honest-to-god cow. She was currently a dinosaur, so she couldn't complain, of course, but now she wouldn't be able to deny being a cow without thinking back to this moment . . . if she ever spoke to a living person again. She hoped that when this was over, she could go back to her normal life. It didn't seem likely, at this point. Something told her things were about to change . . .

***TSFEW***

"Alright, here's the mission brief."

The other Claire tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You make it sound like I'm a secret agent or something."

Wu shook his head.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but treat it with the same soberness as though you were. Under no circumstances are you to let the asset know that we're pushing you to do this."

"So I have to act happy, that kind of thing?"

"Pretend you're enjoying yourself. On that note, I'll need you to collect fluid for our labs."

"Like blood?"

Wu stared at her blankly. Claire gulped.

"Pee?"

He continued to stare. Gradually, Claire's face pulled into a defiant sneer.

"Let's get one thing straight: I'm not going to be your whore. Even I have my limits."

Wu frowned.

"Very well, but understand that you're not in a position to be making bargains. What we have on you is serious, you know. Things could get messy."

Claire looked down at her shoes.

"Please. I have dignity."

"If it seems out of character for you, we won't go through with it. The asset will put the pieces together. Still, you had better not make any more deals, or we'll have to review your case."

Claire nodded, eyes glued to the floor.

"What should I say?"

"Whatever you want, but make sure you don't cause trouble. You're the only one who can communicate with the asset, so we have no way of regulating what you say, but we'll know if things turn sour."

"I don't know how to make him happy."

"Be yourself. The asset seems to like that."

"Stop calling him an asset."

"Well, he is one, presently."

Claire rubbed her temples.

"Alright. Let me in."

Wu opened a passage that led to a small chamber. Claire looked over her shoulder as he locked her in with a deep click. Then, she heard the next set of doors unlock, and pushed them open. The sterile hall led into a lush habitat, which might have been as wild as the jungles of Nublar if it wasn't surrounded by a dull, concrete barrier. She felt rather small next to it, especially since she was below ground level. Claire kept close to this border as she circled the pen, taking a moment to glance at her reflection in a Plexiglas window that lined part of the exhibit. It was strange to be on this side of the fence. Strange and dangerous. If the asset were to sneak up on her . . .

But she spotted him only a few seconds after this thought. She hadn't noticed him, sitting so still in the grass. The darkness had concealed his bright red figure, dulling it for her untrained human eyes. There was no doubt that he'd been waiting for her, because he was sitting calmly with his paws folded in front of him, not unlike a cat. He smiled sardonically.

'So, what did they send you in here for?' he asked, 'Whatever it is, it can't be good.'

"Why do you say that?" Claire gulped.

He chuckled.

'Oh, come on. You're the only one who can talk to me, and I'm sure the legal team is having a helluva time covering this up. The funny part is, as much as InGen is dabbling in mad science, I have no chance against them, because I'm piss poor on regular days, and now that I'm a Stegoceratops, I can't even defend my constitutional rights. But enough about me. How are you?'

Claire's knees started shaking.

"Fine."

'Great, I-'

As Owen stood up, Claire stumbled back against the wall. He rolled his eyes.

'I'm not a wild animal, Claire. I may _look_ like a dinosaur, but you know me better than that.'

"I'm- I'm not afraid."

'Sure, you are. I can smell it on you. Just so we're on the same page, I'm not going to hurt you.'

"I know."

'But you know for the wrong reasons. You think I'm going to be tame because they'll shoot me if I make an aggressive move. Really, I'm going to be amicable because we are both levelheaded adults, and I'm not the kind of person who slaps ladies, anyway . . .'

"Right. Mr. Grady-"

'. . . without their consent,' he finished, raising his eyebrows repeatedly.

Claire was slightly put off, but took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Mr. Grady, in your current state-"

'Claire, with all due respect, cut the bullshit. I don't care how nice you make it sound: I just want to know how fucked I am.'

Claire twiddled her fingers.

"Well . . . until further notice, we've decided to keep you here. It's for your own safety."

'Bullshit. Continue.'

". . . We understand that this is inconvenient-"

'Understatement of the century.'

"-but there's nothing we can do to fix this."

'Change me back.'

"We can't."

'So you can make people dinosaurs, but you can't undo it?'

"The process is not reversible."

'How do you know?'

"They told me."

'They're liars.'

Claire frowned.

"Mr. Grady, I assure you that this company has your best interest in mind."

He snorted.

'I'll bet you wouldn't be saying that if it was _you_ in here. Lucky me, I get to talk to the corporate parrot all day. Why is it that you're the only one who understands me?'

"I don't know," Claire lied.

Owen inhaled, lifting his shoulders.

'Well, whatever the reason, you're here now, though I assume it's not of your own free will. What do you want?'

"I . . . I'm supposed to talk to you. Comfort you."

'That's what _they_ want. Why are _you_ here? Did they offer you a new car or something?'

"It's more complicated than that."

His roguish grin turned into a curious frown. Claire looked away, but he had already seen it in her eyes.

'They're blackmailing you.'

When Claire didn't reply, he shifted a little.

'You don't have to say it out loud, since they'll understand you, and I'm sure they're listening. Just nod if it's true.'

She nodded. Owen fell back on his rump.

'Shit . . .'

"I'd rather not talk about it."

'Claire, you could _sue_ them for this. Is whatever dirt they have on you really worth your silence?'

She winced, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"I can't let it get out."

Owen bit his lower beak.

'I guess I'm not the only one with problems, huh?'

"I guess not," Claire choked.

'Well, be thankful you're not a dinosaur.'

Claire didn't reply. Slowly, Owen reached forward and gave her a hug.

'Hey, don't worry about it. I'll do whatever you need me to if it means your secret will stay safe.'

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

'I'm dying to know, but I'm positive you won't tell me, so I won't bother asking.'

"How do you know I won't tell you?"

'If the only reason you'd hang out with me is because you're being blackmailed, I don't think we're exactly bosom buddies.'

Claire wiped her eye.

"Well, it's not like you could tell anyone."

'No, you're right. Just for the record, though, I wouldn't tell anyone even if I was human.'

She rested her forehead on his chest.

"This is all so fucked up."

He snuffed.

'You're preaching to the choir. I have a fucking tail.'

Despite everything, she laughed.

They met again the next night and had a proper supper. Claire brought spaghetti, which Owen wolfed down in a matter of seconds.

'Man, it's great to have real food. All they've been feeding me is oats! Can you talk to them about that?'

Claire bit her lip.

"Um . . ."

Owen's face turned serious.

'I'm a human being, Claire. This isn't moral.'

"I'll see what I can do."

And they left it at that.

She returned at the same time the next evening. Owen was waiting for her.

'Did you talk to them?'

"Talk to who?"

Owen frowned.

'The feeders. I've been getting nothing but oats.'

"Oh, right. I'll have to set a reminder on my phone."

'Cut the crap, Claire. Are you going to ask them or not?'

She whipped out her phone.

"Okay, okay. I'm putting in a reminder. It's right there. See?"

Owen stared at the glowing rectangle in her hand.

'You know, this phone means nothing to me.'

"What?"

'Forget it.'

And she did.

They continued these meetings for a few days more, until Claire came late one evening. Owen was not pacing like he usually did in the daytime. He was sitting in front of the door.

'For a minute, I thought you weren't coming.'

He was trying to be nonchalant, but Claire could hear a quaver in his voice. She sat down by a fallen log, draping a picnic blanket over it.

"No, I was just getting a few things. How does risotto sound?"

'I don't know what that is, but I trust you. Lay it on me.'

He didn't like it very much, but he said it was better than oats, at least.

As time went on, Claire noticed a change in Owen's behavior. He stopped asking for favors, but this was not a good sign. He had come to expect that she would tiptoe around the issue, and whenever something touchy came up in conversation, he would look away sullenly or become very still. She ignored these red flags, but one day, she got a call around noon from one of the paddock supervisors. She drove down to the enclosure and found Owen pacing on an elevated rock structure, looking down at a pointed branch that he had sharpened with his horns. Claire dashed through the entrance and stood at the bottom of the cliff.

"Don't jump!"

Owen tossed his head.

'What do _you_ care? It's not like it matters.'

"I _do_ care, Owen. I care a lot."

'Because I'm worth a lot of money?'

"No, because we're friends. Come down, Owen."

He reared up on his hind legs before slamming his feet into the dust.

'You're lying! All you care about is your stupid park! You wouldn't even _be_ here if they weren't blackmailing you!'

"Owen-"

'Don't lie to me!'

"Owen, I'm not. Don't do anything stupid."

He whimpered.

'I can't live like this, Claire.'

"You'll just end up hurting yourself."

'That's the point.'

"You might survive. You'll be in a lot of pain."

'I'll make sure it's fatal.'

Claire draped herself over the spike.

"If you jump, you'll have to kill me too."

Owen dug his feet into the ground.

'So now you won't even let me kill myself?! What gives you the right to lord over my life? Do you have any idea how unfair this is? . . . Can't you just let me die?'

"Owen . . ."

He fell forward on his belly and started sobbing. He sat on the edge of the cliff, shaking miserably, until Claire ran to where he was weeping and hugged his neck.

"It's okay, Owen, it's okay . . ."

He leaned into her. She winced as he cried into her shoulder. He grew calm when she ran her hand down his back.

'Claire . . .'

"What?"

'Please don't leave me. I can't be alone today. Please . . .'

"I won't, Owen . . . I mean, I have a dental appointment at three, but I can cancel . . ."

He sniffed.

'Don't tell them I cried. I know they're watching, but don't tell anyone who doesn't know.'

"I won't."

Owen buried his snout in her hair.

'Thank you.'

She persuaded him to resist the urge to take his life, and he was happy to listen when she assured him that she would continue to see him every night. She kept this promise.

Meanwhile, his attraction was officially opened to the public, and he drew in a large crowd. He promised not to attempt any communication with his observers, but they sedated him during the day as a precaution. He seemed dizzy and disoriented the first few nights when Claire visited him, but once he got used to it, he was back to his regular self. One evening, they were laughing about something- the subject was unimportant- when Owen took a deep breath and adopted an air of semi-seriousness.

'Claire, we've been seeing each other for a while now . . .'

The way he said it, he meant more than seeing in the sense of simply sharing the same space every night. Claire's heart clenched up.

'. . . so I was thinking, it's about time we discussed where to go from here.'

She bit her lip. He noticed this, and reached for her hand.

'I know it's complicated, but we can figure this out. I'm ready to do whatever I have to, if it means we can take this to the next level.'

Claire's skin was crawling. Owen waited for an answer. She gulped and rubbed her forearm.

"Owen, what we've been doing . . . it's not what you think."

'I'm not stupid, Claire. I know they're forcing you to be here. But I think these visits have become something more than just an obligation.'

She nodded, trying to conceal her guilt.

"I do enjoy spending time with you, Owen, but that doesn't mean I want a relationship."

He batted his eyes.

'Why not? I mean, we enjoy each other's company, and if we get along so well, I don't see any reason why-'

"You're a dinosaur."

Owen paused, then took a deep breath.

'Claire, I know this isn't going to be easy, but you can't think your way through this one. Try to focus on what you're feeling. Is whatever's in your heart strong enough to get us through the hard stuff?'

She stood up.

"Owen . . ."

'Just answer me. Do you feel the way I do? Do you love me?'

"This isn't an issue of love. You're a dinosaur."

'I know I'm a dinosaur. But that doesn't mean you don't love me.'

"It means I'm not attracted to you."

Owen stopped breathing. He stared at her for a moment, then forced a smile.

'Come on, Claire. That's just an excuse. When two people are in love, that's enough to make them attracted to each other.'

"Not always."

'You're lying. Don't lie to me, Claire. You can't honestly tell me that you're not attracted to me, even a little bit . . .'

She held out her hands.

"I'm not. I'm seriously not. I don't care if you're my friggin soulmate, Owen- which you're not- but even if you were, I will never, _ever_ be attracted to a dinosaur."

Owen's tail went limp.

'I'm not asking you to be attracted to a dinosaur, Claire. I'm asking you to be attracted to me.'

"And you're a dinosaur."

He sighed.

' . . . I guess I am.'

"Yeah."

He turned away.

'I think you'd better go now.'

"Owen . . ."

'Have a good night.'

"Don't be this way . . ."

'Good. Night.'

As he made his way to a plaster cave, Claire followed him, stumbling through the muck in her high heels. She poked her head inside his private chamber and tiptoed forward nervously.

"Owen? . . ."

'Go away.'

She paused.

"Owen, we need to talk."

'We already did. If you have any respect for me, you'll leave.'

"You know I can't do that."

'I don't care what you can and can't do. I want to be alone right now. I'm asking nicely.'

"And I'm telling you that we need to talk."

He snorted, then stepped out of the shadows.

'You still don't get it, do you? We only talk when YOU want to talk. I have no autonomy here. It was bad enough knowing that every time I wanted to see you, I would have to wait, but now when I'm asking to be alone, you can't even give me that!'

Claire sighed.

"Owen . . ."

'I'm on your goddamn schedule, like some sort of animal. We only talk when you want to, and I'm not even sure you'd be doing it if they weren't blackmailing you.'

"Owen, I-"

'Shut up, Claire. Every word out of your mouth comes from _them_. If you can't speak with your own voice, what's the point? That's why they sent you in in the first place. They wanted to make me think I was talking to Claire. All I'm doing is being placated by a board of directors with Claire's face. I'm sick of this dishonesty. I want to be alone, and I don't care to be fooled into thinking I'm anything but.'

Claire let her hand slide down the wall and walked away. She expected to hear Owen crying, but there was only silence.

The next few days, he sat very still. Claire knew he was moving, because whenever she showed up at his enclosure, he'd be seated in a different area, but she barely witnessed his activity. Once, she saw him lumber down to the man-made lake, where he slowly lapped up the filmy water that spouted from a slime-covered pipe, but other than that, he was a statue. During viewing hours, he sat in front of the glass, staring at humans who did not know he was one of them. Claire stood to the side one day, observing a pack of children who tapped on the glass, trying to coax him into moving. One girl tugged on her mother's hand.

"Why's he so sad?"

"He's not sad, sweetie. That's just the way his face is."

"But his eyes are lonely."

Claire turned a little. The mother kneeled in front of her child.

"He's perfectly happy, darling. He has food and water and everything he needs."

"What if he's lonely?"

"Some animals like to be alone. If you put them with other animals, they just fight."

"You said it's normal to fight."

"Only for humans, honey."

Claire leaned on the wall, thinking hard. She barely noticed when Owen turned away.

The next night, Claire returned to Owen's paddock for the first time since their argument. He had not been expecting her, and was lying beneath a palm tree with vacant eyes. When he heard the door open, he stood.

"Owen, I have a surprise for you," Claire trilled.

'A loaded shotgun?'

"No!"

'A trip to the vet?'

Another employee stepped into the paddock. Owen's face lit up.

'Barry!'

He thundered down the hill, bouncing around Barry in gleeful circles.

'Barry, you have no idea how lonely it's been! I'm so glad you came to see me! How did you figure out where I was? How did you-'

Claire held him by the horns.

"Owen, _Owen_! He can't understand you."

He nodded quickly.

'Right, right right. Can you translate?'

Claire gave a single nod. Owen sat down and cleared his throat.

'Barry, this has been a living hell.'

"He says that he's-"

'Aren't you gonna translate directly?'

Claire frowned.

"Okay . . ."

'Barry, I'm so glad you're here.'

"Barry, I'm so glad you're here."

'I never thought I'd see you again.'

"I never thought I'd see you again."

'They did awful things to me.'

"I'm not enjoying myself."

'They stuck me with needles-'

"They vaccinated me."

'-they drugged me up-'

"They gave me medication."

'-they denied me my basic rights.'

"I haven't been allowed to do a lot of things."

'It's so good to see you again.'

"Remind me to thank Claire for putting her neck on the line. I know she didn't have to do that for my sake."

Owen turned to Claire.

'Thank you.'

"No problem."

Barry grinned and examined Owen's horns.

"Man, she wasn't kidding. You really _are_ a dinosaur."

'You're telling me . . .'

"Do you see in color or black and white?"

'Color.'

"He says color."

"Do you smell better?"

'Uh-huh.'

"He says yes, but I beg to differ."

"How big is your dick?"

'Tell him three feet.'

Claire grimaced.

"Ew! I'm not telling him that!"

Barry laughed.

"L'a-t-elle vu?"

Owen turned to Claire.

'Translate what I say phonetically.'

He spoke to her, and she frowned in concentration.

"Jee try-vye?"

Barry laughed. Even though Owen couldn't speak, Claire felt like she was the one being left out of the joke. Part of her didn't mind, because seeing Owen happy was encouraging. His joy wasn't long-lived, however.

Barry was lied to to keep InGen's culpability a secret, and Owen began to enjoy his visits less and less. He was no better off than he was when he was "dating" Claire. No matter how many times he tried to distract himself, he always came back to reality, and was forced to face the fact that he would live the rest of his life in confinement. Claire felt sorry for him, but she didn't realize the extent of his depression until he called her over one day.

'They forgot to sedate me this morning.'

"Do you _want_ to be sedated?"

'No, but they'll freak out when they realize.'

"Alright. I'll get you a needle."

Claire left, then came back with a syringe full of fluid. She sensed that something was off about the way Owen waited for her. Upon further examination, she noticed something peculiar.

"Your arm is bruised."

'Is it?'

"You already had your shot."

Owen mooed quietly.

'Well, it was worth a try, anyway.'

Claire sighed and put a cap on the needle.

"Owen, you shouldn't be overdosing."

'I know.'

"And why would you involve me? Do you know how upset I'd be if something happened to you?"

'You'd get over it. You've seen assets bite the dust before.'

"You're not an asset, Owen . . ."

'I literally am. That's how I'm filed. The only difference is that you understand me. No one else does. I'm only human to one person, and not even then.'

"Well, your body isn't human, but that doesn't mean-"

'It's okay. I've accepted it. I can be happy as a dinosaur. I'll eat my oats, sleep in a cave, and wait for the day it ends. It's not like I was doing anything with my human life, anyway. I guess I deserve this for not bothering to make a difference.'

"Owen . . ."

'I wish I had been nicer to you, Claire. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I'd given a shit about the people I love.'

Claire knelt in front of him.

"Owen. Listen to me. You _have_ made a difference. I have fun when I'm with you. You're the only person I talk to, you know that?"

'I'm not a person.'

"You are to me."

'I don't think so. If you really thought that, we'd be together.'

"Well . . ."

'You said so yourself. You're not attracted to dinosaurs. It's okay. I understand. Anyone else would feel the same.'

Claire shook her head.

"No, Owen. It's not that I don't want to be with you."

'I know. But being a dinosaur complicates the issue.'

"Well, no. Not exactly . . ."

'You said you weren't attracted to me.'

"I . . . Well, it's not exactly that. I'm just embarrassed, that's all."

'Yeah. Exactly.'

"I didn't mean it that way. I'm not embarrassed by _you_. It's something else."

'Sure it is.'

"Seriously. I'm telling the truth."

'I highly doubt that.'

Claire fidgeted.

"I wish I could tell you, but . . . I'm just so scared. I know how to end this, but if I do, we might both be screwed."

'What?'

"On the other hand, we'd still have each other . . ."

She thought about it a little longer, then looked up.

"Owen, can you promise me something?"

'That depends . . .'

"Let me rephrase that. If I ask you a question, do you promise to tell me the truth?"

'Maybe. I don't know. What's the question?'

"Please, Owen. Promise me you'll be honest. This is important."

He thought about it.

'Okay. I'll be honest. Shoot.'

"Do you love me?"

'Yes.'

He waited for a reply. When Claire didn't give one, he cocked his head.

'Is that all?'

"Yes. That's all I wanted to know."

Owen laughed.

'Well, that was easy. I don't know why you made such a big deal out of it.'

Claire began to tremble.

"Owen, I'm scared. What if you change your mind?"

'Why would I do that?'

"Because . . . It's hard to explain."

'Okay . . .'

Claire took a deep breath.

"I trust you, Owen. And I think I know how to make this right. A little bit, at least. I know I can never take back what I did, but I hope this is enough."

She stood up and turned towards the exit. Owen batted his eyes.

'Where are you going?'

"I'll be back."

And she left.

Owen waited for two hours. He was starting to think that Claire was in trouble, but he heard the closest door open and close, and felt his heart flutter. He was shocked when he caught sight of Claire, however, for she was scaly, green, and quite large. She shuffled up to him shyly, tail curled around her ankle.

'Hello,' she whispered.

Owen approached her slowly.

'Claire? . . .'

'Yeah. It's me. Remember how I said I was being blackmailed? Well . . .'

Owen circled her slowly.

'A lot of things make sense now. But why didn't you just tell me?'

Claire sighed.

'Like I said, I was embarrassed. I didn't think I could tell anyone my secret and stay safe.'

'I wouldn't have used it against you.'

'I thought so, but I had my doubts. I mean, after what I did to you, you had every reason to get me back.'

'I wouldn't have, Claire.'

'I see that now. I should have trusted you from the start.'

'Well, I guess I understand why you wouldn't.'

He looked around.

'Claire, you'd better change back before someone sees you . . .'

'They already know, and . . . I can't change back. I told them that I wanted to back out of this deal. I asked that in exchange for my cooperation until this point, I would be allowed to choose what happened to me. I asked them to put me in here and change me permanently. That way, they can't blackmail me, and I can't blab.'

Owen frowned.

'I don't understand. How are you going to do your job?'

'I'm not. I'm going to stay in here and be an asset, just like you.'

Owen's jaw dropped.

'What?! Why would you _do_ that to yourself?'

She shrugged.

'It's not all bad. I mean, we're together, right? We don't have to worry about it being weird anymore, either.'

'I don't follow.'

'Well, _you're_ a dinosaur, _I'm_ a dinosaur . . .'

Owen breathed deeply, taking it all in.

'Let me get this straight. All this time, you've been able to change, and that's why you could talk to me, but InGen knew this and was using it against you so that they could blackmail you into keeping me here against my will?'

'Uh-huh.'

'And now you've decided to let yourself be dragged down with me, living the rest of your life as an animal?'

'That's about right, yeah.'

'But why?'

Claire smiled.

'There was nothing worth holding onto in my life except for you. As unpleasant as the conditions of this relationship were, I was willing to put up with oats and scratching posts if it meant that we could be happy together.'

'You could have just run.'

'But then I wouldn't be with you.'

'I thought you said you weren't attracted to me.'

'I did _say_ that, but it wasn't so simple . . .'

'Huh. I guess there's no going back now, in any case.'

'Nope.'

'So this is our life now?'

'Yep.'

Owen hummed.

'All things considered, it could have turned out worse.'

'Undoubtedly. I know this isn't what either of us hoped for, but as long as we're together, I don't think it matters.'

'Neither do I.'

After a beat, they shared a clumsy, awkward dinosaur-kiss. Claire laughed.

'We need some practice, I think.'

'That won't be a problem, since we're going to be spending a lot of time together.'

'Yeah . . . Hey, were you serious when you said three feet?'

The Claire observing them sensed it was a good time to leave.

***TSFEW***

Well, that was a switch. Owen was usually the human in their relationship. But anything was possible, she supposed . . .

***TSFEW***

As in the last world, Owen was a captive of InGen. This time, he was an Indominus Rex. Perhaps it was some kind of animal instinct, but Claire was terrified of his appearance, even though she knew it was him. Not many dinosaurs had facial hair, after all.

He paced the border of his enclosure, scanning his surroundings with eyes framed by red sclera. He snorted with agitation, chuffing occasionally.

He reached out to scrape his claws across the wall, but was shot with a bolt of electricity. He howled in frustration.

A few minutes later, he tried to make lines in the dirt. He was shot again.

Unable to write, Owen had no way of communicating with his captors. He could not negotiate or even make chitchat. It must be hell, Claire thought.

The other Claire didn't seem to agree. She watched Owen struggle with a cold, empty gaze. She left for an hour or two, then returned. By this time, the rest of the staff were gone, but it didn't matter, because Owen thought they were still around, and didn't want to risk being shocked. That was Claire's theory, anyway. She didn't seem to realize that he could sense thermal radiation.

It was night, but the moon lit the scene quite well. As soon as Claire peered into the pit, she saw Owen's pale shape clinging to the wall, in the process of making a daring escape. She screamed and started throwing rocks at him. He ignored this, continuing to climb. When she held up a large stick to beat him over the snout, he clamped his teeth around it, but this action made him slip. He fell back into his cage, and because Claire was still holding the branch, she was flung over his head. Her landing looked painful, to say the least, and resulted in a sprained ankle.

"Ah!"

Claire held her foot, wincing. Owen shook himself off and walked up to her casually. She scrambled backwards, and he stopped. After a pause, he reached down and wrote in the dirt, turning his head to see better.

 _Are you hurt?_

She caught her breath.

"I . . . I'm . . ."

He waited for an answer. She frowned.

"I can outrun you, if that's what you're wondering."

He shook his head and started writing again.

 _Need doctor?_

"What does it matter? I'm obviously not making it out of here alive."

 _Can make it if call ambulince in time._

"You spelled ambulance wrong."

He frowned. Claire snuffed.

"Look, I'm not fatally wounded or anything. I'm just concerned about being eaten."

Owen looked around, wondering what kind of monster could reach them in this area.

"I'm worried _you_ might eat me," she clarified.

He quirked a brow and started writing, but Claire held up her hand.

"Don't. I know what you're gonna say, so just don't."

He shrugged. Claire took a deep breath.

"Are you gonna hold me hostage until they set you free?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

 _Won't work._

"So you'll let me go, then?"

He shook his head.

"Well, why not?"

 _Need you to promise you'll come back._

"Why?"

 _Need to ask you something._

"What?"

He held his paw over the next sentence before revealing it dramatically.

 _Second date?_

Her eyes went wide.

"Are you serious?"

He nodded.

"Really?"

He nodded again. Claire took a deep breath.

"Look, Owen, I can't just date you when you're . . ."

She gestured to his shape. His face fell. That was the moment he realized that it was hopeless. He had lost everything, including the chance to be loved by Claire, though that chance was slim to begin with. It was the only joy he could hope for now that he was caged, and she had crushed his spirits in a matter of seconds. Quickly, she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Actually, maybe one date wouldn't hurt."

It was more like five dates, though. She visited him in secret, until they were basically in a relationship. Claire knew Owen still believed he was incapable of being loved, so she was the first to confess her feelings. He was thrilled.

Then, as it became more and more difficult to live a double life, Claire made a decision. She helped Owen escape by opening the side door and pulling a magic flower from her stomach, which she used to change him into a human. She became a dinosaur, but he said nothing out of politeness, instead following her through the exit, now small enough to fit. Although he was overjoyed by the return to his human form, when she got his attention (he was staring at his hands), he offered the flower without resistance, changing back into a dinosaur. As he became a predator, a staff member caught sight of him, and fired live ammunition. He did not realize that he was wounded until he lost enough blood to prevent a clean escape, and came crashing down in the jungle. Without missing a beat, Claire pulled the flower out of her stomach and pressed it against his wounds. Her hand became a dinosaur foot as the petals dissolved, healing him.

The predator and his prey stood staring at each other, wondering if either of them would make an impulsive move out of instinct. Instead, they decided that they were still in love, and that wouldn't change even when _they_ did.

Owen swam away from Isla Nublar with Claire on his back. She looked at the world she once ruled, and was surprised to find that she wouldn't miss it one bit.

***TSFEW***

Claire sighed deeply. All this universe-hopping was accomplishing was making her lonelier than ever.

***TSFEW***

Claire saw a mirror image of herself pacing the border of an enclosure. She thought that perhaps this alternate version was an unintelligent animal, but when the side door opened and Owen stepped inside, she realized that her twin's eyes showed more awareness than livestock. She cantered towards Owen with a worried expression. She was waiting for news. Whatever he had to say, it wasn't good. Claire could tell that his smile was fake. She suspected the other Claire could tell, too. Owen knelt in front of her.

"Hey, Claire! How's it going?"

She grunted. He gave a gentle nod.

"Yeah, I'll bet you're tired. I would be, too. I have some good news, though. It will all be over soon."

Her eyes went wide as he pulled out a syringe. She mooed in panic, but he grabbed her by the snout and calmed her down by stroking her scales.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh. It's okay. I'm here to help you."

He held her gaze, and his smile became more intense in an unsettling way.

"Keep smiling. There's something I need you to do, and it's very important. When I point to this syringe and talk, you have to act excited, regardless of what I say. Don't nod, but blink twice if you understand."

She did.

"Good. I have some exciting news for you, Claire."

He held up the syringe.

"They instructed me to tell you that the fluid in this needle will make you human. It's actually going to do the opposite. It will make you an animal."

After a beat, Claire grinned and wagged her tail, remembering that she was supposed to be acting gleeful. Owen's smile widened, and he patted her cheek.

"They want to keep you stupid, Claire, because they know they screwed up. Having a sentient dinosaur is a liability, so they're gonna make you disappear by taking away your autonomy."

Although her heart was pounding with fear, she licked his face enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry I brought you back. If I had known what they were planning, I would have hidden you away, but right now, we need to buy ourselves some time. I'm going to pretend to inject you, and after it's done, you have to act stupid. Don't try to escape, don't do human things, and don't answer to your name. I'll think of a plan soon enough, but I need you to cooperate."

She beamed and sat down, leaning her shoulder towards him. He nodded and wrapped his hand around the syringe, turning so it was concealed from the surveillance camera. The amber liquid inside dripped onto the ground, and Owen quickly swept dust over it. Claire stared forward blankly, then mooed. Owen stood and exited the paddock.

He returned in the evening. Claire didn't react to his presence. She stood grazing in the corner of her cage, paying him no mind.

"It's alright. No one's watching."

Claire continued to chew cud. Owen jogged over to her with a remorseful smile.

"You're very clever, Claire. That could have been a trick, knowing InGen. Cross my heart, I'm not lying to you when I say that we're safe. I should have set a code word or something . . ."

She turned to face him and smiled sadly. He knelt in front of her and took her cheeks in his hands.

"I know I don't deserve your trust, after the things they forced me to say, but I know how wrong it all was now. Whenever I told you it was only a temporary setup and that they were working on ways to fix you, I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to believe they were telling the truth, but I knew InGen too well to convince myself fully. I'm sorry if I gave you false hope."

She mooed sadly. Owen looked away.

"I'm going to bust you out of here, Claire, because there's not much more we can do by this point. Wu has ways of making you disappear, and I don't want that. I know the last thing you want is to live the rest of your life as a Stegoceratops . . . but . . ."

When he trailed off, Claire gave a sympathetic grumble and pressed her beak into his shoulder. He sighed and held her chin.

"Once you're out of here, you won't ever have to see me again. I'll keep searching for ways to cure you, but-"

She tugged on his jacket. He frowned.

"I know I'm not a scientist, but-"

She tugged again, then shook her head furiously.

"No? No, what?"

She pointed to herself, then to him, then to the sky. Owen narrowed his eyes.

"You want us to . . . fly?"

Claire slapped her forehead. After dragging her front foot down her face, she wrapped her tail around Owen's wrist and brought him to a patch of dirt. She forced him to sit down. He watched as she drew a pattern with her thagomizer. When she was done, she plopped herself down by his side. They were sitting in a giant heart. Owen raised his eyebrows.

"Oh! . . . Are you _sure_?"

She nodded vigorously, but after a moment, broke into a shy mumble. He held up his hands casually.

"No, I'm perfectly okay with it! I just didn't think you'd wanna be with me after everything I did."

Claire smiled and began a long series of moos and grunts. Owen wasn't sure what she was saying specifically, but he got the general idea.

"Well, I guess that settles it. We're gonna be fugitives from InGen."

She smiled and licked his cheek, then lowed coyly. Owen laughed.

"Yes, and a couple. That's important too."

Claire gave an affirmative nod, then marched towards the exit. Owen hopped on her back, patting her sides gently.

"Alright. Giddy up!"

He kicked her with his heels. She snorted, then turned to glare at him. He smiled sheepishly.

"Maybe not? . . ."

But she did carry him across the island, and after hotwiring a boat, they began their journey to some distant safe haven. It was no easy task to sneak aboard trucks and train-hop and occasionally earn the sympathy of a particularly generous driver (they mostly hitchhiked with people who were so spaced-out they thought Claire was a hallucination), but eventually, they found themselves in the beautiful land of Tennessee. After settling down in an abandoned ranch, they spent the next few years building a new life, which of course was no easy feat, but they were together, and that was what really mattered. They were never found by InGen, and the company went bankrupt after a lawsuit involving some sort of hybrid dinosaur, which was surprisingly not a repurposed staff member.

In any case, it was neither Claire nor Owen's problem, and they were content to share a simple piña colada on their front porch while watching the sunset: a tradition which would be maintained for many, many years.

***TSFEW***

Claire was crying now. She just wanted to go back home.

***TSFEW***

In the next world, Claire saw her other self walking down the road with Owen. She was a dinosaur, and he was a human, but what struck her as odd about their situation was that they were both dressed very fancily. She wondered if this was a world where dinosaurs and humans lived side by side, but for the life of her, she could not imagine why Owen would be dressed this way. He looked so out of place in his suit . . . Still very handsome, but awkward, nonetheless. They approached the entrance of a hotel, which bathed them in a cream-colored glow. Claire paused at the revolving door.

"Do I look alright?"

Owen quirked a brow.

"You haven't changed since I last told you."

She snuffed impatiently.

"I'm just nervous, okay?"

"You'll be fine."

She was not convinced. Owen began to rub her snout comfortingly, but she pulled her head away and grimaced.

"Don't do that, Owen."

He looked hurt.

"I thought you liked it . . ."

"I do, but we can't do it in public. I need to make a good impression tonight. Even the littlest things could make them turn on me like a pack of wolves."

"They're just people, Claire."

She gave him an austere glare.

"Owen, they may be people, but they're _my_ people. You don't know what it's like in this environment. From the second I step into that ballroom, they're going to judge me. If I screw this up, they're gonna think I'm nothing more than a stupid animal."

Owen batted his eyes.

"I thought you said these were your friends."

"They're my associates, yes, but it doesn't matter. I'm a dinosaur."

"They knew you before you were a dinosaur, though, right?"

Claire sighed.

"Yes, but that won't matter. Presentation is entirely dependent on physical appearance. It doesn't matter how good my spiels are: no one will take me seriously if I don't dress the right way."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about _that_. You look fantastic."

She smiled and peeked over her shoulder at the gown that ran over her folded plates.

"You think so?"

"Of course. You're gorgeous."

He leaned in for a kiss, but Claire was already looking into the building.

"Is it enough, though? Can this dress really hide the fact that I'm a dinosaur?"

"Hide?"

"Well, not hide. Minimize. Is it good enough to make me beautiful?"

Owen shrugged.

"Well, you know I think you're beautiful regardless, but at the price you paid, I'd be severely disappointed if it had no effect on them."

"So I'm pretty enough?"

"God, yes."

"Cute-pretty or sophisticated-pretty?"

"Both."

"I can't be both. Which is it?"

"I don't know. Which are you aiming for?"

"Sophisticated-pretty. I want to be exactly like I was when I was human."

"Well, in my opinion, you're ten times better."

Instead of accepting the compliment, Claire gave a sigh that was laced with doubt and dread, then entered the building. Owen wondered if he was supposed to say something more, but he decided not to.

They entered a large ballroom that made Owen feel small and insignificant. From the neat rows of champagne glasses to the grand piano to the tiny sandwiches filled with god knows what, he was not used to anything of this nature, and he felt like anyone who so much as glanced at him would automatically sense that he was a fraud. Claire also appeared to be nervous, but for a different reason. Or maybe not. Owen wondered if she felt a sense of belonging, or if she had adopted his perspective by becoming a dinosaur. He didn't have to wonder for long, because Claire took it upon herself to cross the room quite boldly, singling out a group that Owen assumed was important for one reason or another. When they saw her coming, they were shocked, but they smiled merrily and greeted her nonetheless.

"Claire, I'm so glad you came!" one of the women shrilled, "We haven't heard from you since . . . um . . ."

"That's alright," Claire beamed, "I've recovered. It's hard to cope sometimes, but I'm managing alright. How have _you_ been?"

Another woman held out her bubbling glass for emphasis. She swished it around as she spoke, and Owen was afraid that it might spill. It came close, once or twice.

"We're just fine, honey. So tell me, what do you eat nowadays?"

"Well, I've been trying out this new diet-"

"A paleo-diet?"

The group burst into laughter. Owen turned to Claire nervously, afraid that she would be offended by this remark, but she seemed to be laughing with them.

"You could call it that. I don't eat meat anymore."

"So you're a vegetarian?"

"Almost a vegan. But I drink milk."

"Oh, that's interesting."

So far, so good. One of the men gave a throaty laugh and elbowed Owen, making him jump.

"I'll bet it's hell living without steak in the house!"

Owen shook his head.

"Once you get used to it, it's fine. I promised Claire I'd eat like her to make her f- to make it easier to cook."

The lady with the sloshy drink bent forward to get a better look at Claire.

"Did you have to buy new makeup?"

"Yeah, I have a different skin tone now, so . . ."

"Scale tone, you mean?"

"Sure."

"Where do you buy dinosaur makeup?"

Claire covered her face self-consciously.

"It's just regular makeup."

Owen nodded.

"Yeah, people use it to cover pimples."

Claire shot him a look. He realized that it wasn't the most flattering statement. Worse still, it made the group aware of his presence, and they seemed keen to turn the subject of the conversation to him. The champagne lady sized him up snootily.

"You're Owen, right?"

He nodded.

"That's me."

"What is it you do, exactly?"

"Well, I work at the park . . ."

"Owen is a behavioral scientist," Claire explained.

He laughed.

"Well, that's embellishing it a little, don't you think? I'm just a raptor trainer."

"Oh, you train dinosaurs?" Champagne Girl giggled, "That's perfect. I'll bet you've taught Claire a trick or two . . ."

Owen frowned.

"That's not funny."

Claire kicked him gently.

"Owen, please . . ."

"Does it pay well?" one of the men asked.

"Oh, sure. I make around fifty thousand."

"A month?"

"A year."

Claire gave him a pleading stare.

"Owen. Stop."

One of the girls waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Oh, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. I had an uncle who lived off minimum wage."

Owen grumbled.

"Well, it's hardly minimum wage-"

Claire butted in. Almost literally. Owen dodged her horn in time.

"Owen's looking to move up soon," she lied, "He just doesn't want to leave his assets behind. They need him to train the raptors. He's the only one who knows how."

A tall man with a combover smirked pompously.

"I have to admit that I pictured you differently, Mr. Grady. You don't seem like Claire's type."

Owen gulped.

"I don't?"

"No, she usually goes for well-groomed gentlemen, no offense. Say, what ever happened to that James fellow?"

Claire grimaced.

"That didn't work out. We had an argument."

A girl in a pink gown snorted drunkenly, almost keeling over.

"Honey, he was _perfect_ for you. You ought to phone him up sometime."

Owen's jaw dropped.

"Excuse me? I'm right here!"

He yowled as Claire stamped on his foot.

"Owen. Get us drinks."

"But-"

"Now."

He slunk away, hurt by her vicious tone. She turned back to her guests with a smile and continued the conversation.

Owen wasn't sure what was going on with Claire. He knew she was keen to fit in with her clique, but not at the expense of her boyfriend, he hoped. Maybe she was overcompensating because she was a dinosaur. Poor Claire. All she wanted was to live a normal life, and nobody was willing to give her a chance . . .

Owen was so deep in thought that he didn't pay attention to what he was doing. He reached for a champagne glass, but somehow managed to jostle it out of place. The entire row toppled over like dominos, making a terrible noise. The tablecloth became soaked, as did Owen's shoes and pants. He froze instinctually.

Claire's friends were staring at him. Everyone was. The entire room had fallen silent, and he was just standing there like an idiot. Claire looked mortified, but she broke the stillness by marching up to him and grabbing him by the sleeve. He followed her into the back room, where she threw him forward furiously and began to spit out venomous words.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"It was an accident . . ."

"I don't care! This was already awkward enough without your little screw-up. How am I supposed to face my friends after _that_?"

Owen wrung his hands.

"It'll be okay, Claire. If we just explain to them what happened, they'll understand. It wasn't my fault, and it certainly wasn't _yours_. This has nothing to do with you being a dinosaur. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"I'm not embarrassed because I'm a dinosaur, Owen! I'm embarrassed by _you_!"

He recoiled at these words, eyes wide and jaw hanging. Claire continued to stare him down, furious as ever. Gradually, Owen became less tense. He broke their shared gaze and gave a slow nod, letting his hands fall by his sides.

"I guess that means you don't want me here anymore."

She didn't reply. He closed his eyes and turned away.

"I'll be at the apartment. I might go out for a bit to return the suit."

Claire turned away sharply.

"Don't wrinkle it."

She could tell that her words had stung him- Well, okay, _hurt_ him significantly- but what right did he have to complain? She had been expecting his full cooperation, but he just had to go and screw it up by being so Owenish, as usual. Why did she ever believe he could do this? He wasn't capable of serious socialization. He was not like Claire in the slightest.

But as she made her way back to her cohorts, she heard them mention his name, and ducked behind a pillar to listen in, praying that the damage Owen had caused was not irreversible. It wasn't long before she realized the true target of their criticism.

"Honestly, I'm impressed that he's not some fat, greasy weirdo. It seems like he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he has looks, I'll give him that."

"Too bad they're wasted on _her_."

Claire went rigid.

"Yeah, I'm surprised she found someone willing to put up with that, but then again, he could be some kind of pervert. She has a lot of nerve coming to our gala with a man. I hate to think what they get up to in bed. Nasty stuff."

"If you ask me, she has a lot of nerve showing up here at all! Did you see that dress she's wearing? God, it looks stupid! It reminds me of when my aunt tried to dress up her pug."

"She's like a stuffed sausage!"

"I've never seen a green sausage before."

"Maybe you will if you start dating an animal, too!"

Claire backed out of the room, feeling her heart shatter. Tears were already pouring down her face, but for once, she didn't try to salvage her mascara. There was no chance of fitting in with this crowd. None whatsoever. To them, she was just a big, ugly dinosaur.

Giving a loud sob, she spun around and thundered down the hallway. When she reached the lobby, she noticed that it was pouring rain outside. There was an old man at the information desk, and he stood up when he saw her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She gulped.

"I . . . I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, okay. Your husband told me to give you a message."

"Husband?"

"Yes, the fellow with a beard. You _are_ his wife, right? You fit the description . . ."

"We're not married."

"Ah, I see. Well, he told me to give you this note."

He slid Owen's jacket across the table. On top was a small paper. Claire turned it around with her beak.

 _Dear Claire, I'm sorry I ruined your evening. If you never want to see me again, I don't blame you, but I pray this isn't the case. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. I took off my coat so it wouldn't get wet, and I'm bring my pants to the dry-cleaners to get the champagne out. I think it'll stop raining by the time you leave, so you won't have to worry about your dress. I hope I didn't mess things up too badly with your friends. If it helps, you can tell them that you dumped me. I won't come to another party if you don't want me to. Enjoy the rest of your evening. I love you._

Claire read over the note a few times, then took the jacket in her beak. She draped it over her shoulders and sprinted out the revolving door, thanking the doorman.

She found Owen a few blocks away, shivering in his soaking-wet shirt. His hair was plastered down with water, and he had his hands in his pockets. Claire dashed over to his hunched form and held the coat over his head. His eyes went wide.

"Claire, what are you doing? You can't be out here!"

"Take your jacket."

"Claire, no! You'll ruin your dress!"

"I don't care about the dress. Take your jacket before you catch pneumonia."

Reluctantly, he pulled it over his head like an umbrella, then looked her over.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Aren't _you_?"

"A little."

She moved forward and curled her body around him.

"Better?"

"Yes, but Claire-"

"I'm sorry, Owen. I didn't mean the things I said. I mean, I did, but I was wrong. I'm not embarrassed by you. I'm embarrassed to have such lousy friends, and I'm ashamed that I didn't stand up for you."

He rubbed her snout.

"Claire, you don't have to defend me. I'm a nobody."

"That's not true. You mean everything to me. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I know, and that's a miracle. How many people could love a big, ugly dinosaur? That's the most repulsive thing I can think of."

Owen smiled and kissed her cheek.

"It's a good thing I'm not dating a big, ugly dinosaur, then."

***TSFEW***

Claire smiled. Even though she couldn't see her own Owen, the love he displayed in these worlds was enough to keep her motivated. She moved on.

***TSFEW***

Claire was in a lab. Another Claire was there too: human and aged around thirty years. She looked around nervously, unsure of what to do.

"Hello? Dr. Wu? You left your door open . . ."

She gasped when she saw a two-headed snake in a terrarium behind her. She backed away slowly.

"I . . . I don't think this is supposed to be out in the open. Are the locks broken on your door?"

There was no reply. Claire ran her fingers through her hair.

"Okay, then. I guess I'll just tell him later."

She turned to leave, but a strange noise caught her attention. She looked around with confusion.

"Hello?"

"Ah!"

It was a kind of gurgling shout, and Claire's first impression was that it had come from a human baby. She shook her head, feeling ridiculous, but something began to cry. Reluctantly, she wandered deeper into the lab.

"Hello?"

"Wah!"

"Is there a baby in here?"

When she peeked around a stack of boxes, her heart dropped. Lying in a glass box with no roof was a baby, though it certainly wasn't human . . . not fully, anyway. It was a saurian creature with horns, plates, and spikes, and it was only a little bigger than a real baby. Claire crept closer and saw that it had skin instead of scales and bright, intelligent eyes. It was almost humanoid.

Claire realized that she really, _really_ shouldn't be snooping around in this secret lab. The infant spotted her and gave another cry. It waddled up to the border of its cage and pressed its nose against the glass, giving a curious hum. Claire gulped and turned away.

"WAH!"

She winced as the baby let out a miserable wail, then rushed over to the glass box and peeked over the edge.

"Shhh! You're going to get me in trouble!"

The baby's lip quivered. Claire was horrified to see tears brimming in its eyes.

"Oh, no . . ."

When the dinosaur began to whimper, Claire picked it up and held it in front of her, wondering if she ought to rock it or something. The child seemed content staring at her, and licked its lips nonchalantly. Claire looked it over.

"You're a funny little thing, aren't you?"

"Bah."

"Are you some sort of hybrid?"

The baby blew spit bubbles. Claire placed it on a table and wiped its mouth with her sleeve.

"You look like a girl. Are you a girl?"

The baby smiled and touched her lips as she leaned close. Claire laughed.

"You trying to get me to shut up?"

"Agh."

Claire ran her hand over the baby's back, and she curled up in a ball. She picked up the infant and started rocking her back and forth.

"You seem familiar. I don't think we've met before, because I'd remember you. Where did you come from?"

The baby did not answer. Instead, she yawned and snuggled into Claire's chest. She smiled.

"You know, I kind of like you. I hope they're not doing experiments on you or anything. Who knows what Wu gets up to in here . . ."

At the mention of her creator's name, the infant tensed up and pulled her face into a grimace. She started sniffling in panic, looking up at Claire with desperation and worry.

"You don't like him very much, huh? Well, don't worry. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Claire took a few steps towards the door, then stopped herself. She wheeled around and dropped the baby in the glass box, breathing heavily.

"Shit! What am I doing?!"

She turned to leave, but the baby gave a heart-wrenching scream. She pressed her tiny hands on the glass, squealing with sorrow as Claire abandoned her. Tears poured down her cheeks, and she coughed uncontrollably. Claire covered her mouth.

"Don't cry . . ."

She picked her up once more, patting her back fearfully.

"Don't cry, don't cry . . ."

The dinosaur was sobbing now. Claire held her out in front of her chest and started waggling her tongue. She crossed her eyes and made funny faces at the infant. This seemed to calm her down. She giggled happily, then reached for her hair. Claire draped the dinosaur over her shoulder and sighed.

"I can't keep you, sweetheart. It's nothing personal. I just can't get caught stealing someone else's property . . ."

The child sniffled and leaned on Claire's shoulder. She bit her lip.

"Oh, god. What am I saying? You don't belong to Wu. You're alive . . . And I'm pretty sure you're part human, which I think is illegal."

The child grunted. Claire rubbed her forehead with her thumb.

"He won't be able to come after me if I take you. If he did, his secret would get out. And he could always make another dinosaur, right? . . ."

She realized that she had already started walking. The baby squinted as they entered the much brighter portion of the lab.

"No, I can't let him harm you. That would be morally irresponsible. I mean, if I was a decent person, I'd take you home right now. And that's what I'm doing. I'm taking you home with me."

The child giggled and reached for her face. Claire bent her head and nuzzled her playfully.

"You're lucky you're so cute, or I wouldn't have risked my neck for you."

The baby licked her cheek. Claire smiled.

"Well, I guess you're mine now. Let's just hope you don't get me into trouble."

The next day, however, the secret lab was put on lockdown, and Wu appeared to be more irritable than usual. Claire noticed this right away, and was alarmed to see a few shady-looking men lurking around the premises. She had intended to ask for the day off, but that seemed too suspicious, so she faked being sick instead. She ran into the bathroom and jammed her finger down her throat until she threw up, making a point of being as noisy as possible. One of the scientists came running in.

"Are you okay in there?"

Claire coughed, genuinely sick now.

"I think I have the flu!"

"Do you want me to call in?"

"Please."

Claire made a choking sound for effect, then wiped her mouth and pulled her car keys out of her pocket. She managed to sneak out without raising suspicion.

When she got home, Baby Dinosaur was waiting at the door. Claire shrieked when she saw her, then pushed her away with her foot, though she was sure she wouldn't try to escape.

"I thought you were sleeping!"

"Meh."

Claire frowned.

"Oh, you're going to be a lot of trouble, I can tell. What have I gotten myself into?"

The baby rubbed up against her legs, making a little squeak. Claire smiled and picked her up.

"That's okay, baby. We'll find a way to make this work."

Claire set the infant on the kitchen table, praying she wouldn't be foolish enough to fall off. Luckily, the dinosaur seemed to know better than that. Claire set a carrot in front of the child, smiling warmly.

"Here's your breakfast, baby girl."

The child looked down at the carrot, then up at her adoptive mother. She didn't seem impressed. Claire picked it up and held it in front of her snout.

"Here you go. Nom, nom."

The baby sniffed the vegetable, then gave a deep frown. Claire pulled up a chair in front of her and sighed.

"Come on, now. Don't be difficult. This is a delicious carrot, see?"

She took a bite out of it.

"Mmm. Very tasty. You try."

She held out the carrot once more, but the child ignored it and waddled up to her face. She reached up and pulled on her lips, then gave a surprised squeak when she saw that the carrots had disappeared. Claire rolled her eyes.

"Don't you know how eating works? What have they been feeding you all this time?"

"Eph."

Claire sighed and took another bite of the carrot. She chewed in an exaggerated manner.

"This is how you eat, baby girl. Watch how Mommy does it. You take a bite, chew, then- GAK!"

The infant jammed her fist into Claire's mouth and pulled out her chewed-up carrot mush. Claire coughed and spat the rest on the table.

"Ack! What the hell?! It's bad enough that you won't eat, and now-"

She broke off when she saw the child sniffing her chewed-up carrots. After a pause, she licked up the mush, smacking her beak-lips happily. Claire gave her a curious frown and took another bite of the carrot. She spat out a fresh pile of mush, which the dinosaur lapped up eagerly. After giving a gentle burp, she sat back on her haunches and licked her lips. Claire batted her eyes.

"Well . . . okay . . ."

Once she figured out how to feed the baby, she had to master more difficult pursuits, such as burping and napping. She wouldn't have considered the latter to be a team effort, but the dinosaur refused to sleep unless her mother was nearby. Claire fell asleep with the child in her arms, not at all upset with this arrangement.

Then, in the late afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Claire lifted her head with alarm and hid Lily under the couch, urging her to keep quiet. She brushed herself off and trotted up to the front entranceway. Her guest was none other than Owen Grady.

"I heard you were sick, so I brought you a card. It's meant to be for Valentine's Day, but I crossed off the-"

He looked past her, and his eyes went wide.

"Holy hell . . ."

The baby dinosaur had followed Claire across the house. She covered her mouth and tried to shut the door.

"Go away! Get out! You're not welcome here!"

Owen yowled as she caught his fingers in the door. The baby laughed.

"Claire, what the hell?!"

"Forget what you saw here! I'll _fire_ you, so help me god!"

Owen pushed past her and stepped into the house, flicking his hand painfully.

"Claire, I'm not going to tell anyone about this. What you do with dinosaurs is your private business."

After a beat, Claire realized what he was saying.

"That's _disgusting_!"

"Well, why'd you do it, then?"

"I didn't! She's adopted!"

Owen raised his eyebrows.

"Oh. That's funny, because she seems to be part human. She kind of looks like you, so I just assumed she was yours . . ."

"She _is_ ," Claire asserted defensively, "I'm her mommy- her mother."

She caught the child as she jumped into her arms and rocked her back and forth. Owen narrowed his eyes.

"You don't strike me as the motherly type."

"I'm a _wonderful_ mother, thank you very much!"

"Okay, okay. No need to get defensive. What's her name?"

"Her name?" Claire echoed.

Owen quirked a brow.

"So you think you're a perfect mother, but you don't even have a name for your kid?"

Claire's eyes darted back and forth.

"Uh . . . Lily! Her name is Lily!"

Owen nodded skeptically.

"Alright then."

He waved his finger in the baby's face.

"Nice to meet you, Lily."

Claire swatted him away.

"Don't touch her."

"Why not? She likes me."

He tickled Lily's chin, and she gave a delighted giggle. Claire pulled her close, hunching her back defensively.

"I'm her mother. I decide what's best for her."

"Well, you can't do this alone."

"Says who?"

"Says reality. You can't stay home from work every day, and Lily's gonna get lonely."

Claire sneered.

"What do you propose I do?"

"Let me babysit her."

"Uh-uh. No way. I leave her in your care and she'll be dead within five seconds."

Owen pouted.

"Claire, I wouldn't let something like that happen. I care about her."

"No, you don't! You only just met her!"

"And how long have you known her?"

"Since yesterday . . . but it's different. I'm her mommy."

"I could be her mommy too . . ."

Seeing Claire's face, Owen put his hand on her arm.

"Hey. You don't have to worry. I know it's hard to put your trust in another person, but I swear, I'll defend her with my life."

"Why?"

"Because I like her. Furthermore, I like you, and I can see that you need help, whether you want it or not."

Claire exhaled reluctantly. Owen lifted her chin with his finger.

"Hey. Lily only has one real Mommy. I'm not here to replace you."

Claire looked at Owen, then at Lily, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, but only when I'm at work. I'm taking Fridays off."

"Sounds good."

"What about you? When do you work?"

Owen snorted.

"Never."

Claire's eyes went wide. Owen shrugged.

"Well, I used to work a lot harder, but there's been barely any progress with the raptors . . ."

"This is the first I'm hearing of this . . ."

"Yeah, well, that kind of stuff looks bad on a report, and I like to get paid."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Fine. As long as Lily is taken care of."

Owen grinned.

"I promise, I'll do my best to make her happy."

Owen did exactly that, though Claire grew uneasy as time went on. Lily looked forward to his visits, bounding up to the door and scratching it like a dog when she sensed he was near. He'd pick her up and spin her around, and she'd giggle like crazy. She never did that with Claire.

"Don't throw her up in the air. It's dangerous," she said.

But he continued to play games with Lily, excluding Claire to the point where it almost seemed intentional. She didn't think he had malevolent intentions, but it hurt her feelings regardless. One day, she came home and found Owen feeding Lily like a bird. He wiped his mouth hurriedly when he saw her coming. Claire dropped her groceries and sneered.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't swear in front of Lily . . ."

Claire grabbed him by the collar.

"Owen. What are you DOING?!"

He sighed.

"She was hungry."

"I left her lunch in a Tupperware."

"It was cold."

"That's what the microwave is for."

"It's not the same. She needs it fresh."

"WELL, SHE CAN DAMN WELL WAIT FOR HER MOTHER!"

Owen glared at her.

"Claire, you can't let your jealousy get in the way of what's best for Lily."

"I'm not jealous! I just think you're overstepping your bounds."

"My _bounds_? Claire, I'm as much her parent as _you_ are!"

"That's not true!"

"Why, because you found her first?"

"BECAUSE SHE _LOVES_ ME! I'M HER _MOTHER_!"

"No, you're not! She's a dinosaur, and if it's a matter of adoption, she should be allowed to choose."

"She imprinted on _me_."

"How do you know?"

"I just _know_ , okay?!"

Owen snorted.

"Fine. Let's test it. We'll let Lily choose."

He set her on the ground, then walked to the opposite end of the room.

"Call her over. Whoever she decides be with, that's who her real parent is."

"Fine."

Claire crouched down.

"Come here, Lily. Come to your mommy."

Lily waddled over to her with a big smile, but paused when she heard Owen.

"Come on, baby girl. You know your daddy loves you more."

Claire extended her arms, waving her over with both hands.

"Don't listen to him, sweetheart. I love you more than life itself."

"I let you have more fun."

"Your fa- Owen is irresponsible. I have your best interest in mind."

"I'll feed you whenever you want."

"I'll raise you to be responsible."

"I'll give you treats!"

"I'll buy you a car! . . . Eventually . . ."

"I'll love you forever!"

"I will too, but I can actually afford to keep you! You want lots of toys, right?"

"I'll play with you every day! I'm free!"

"I'll quit my job!"

"Come on, Lily! Come on! Come to Daddy!"

"No, Lily, come to Mommy!"

They continued to duel by making promises which seemed borderline insane, and Lily looked at the two of them with confusion. She started making her way to Owen, and Claire panicked.

"Lily, no! Don't! Come back!"

She didn't stop. Claire stood up and screamed.

"Don't you leave me, Lily! Don't you _dare_ leave me!"

Frightened by her outburst, Lily scampered away and hopped into Owen's arms. He gave a victorious cheer.

"Yeah! Way to go, Lily!"

Claire stood up slowly, staring down at the carpet.

"I guess that means she's yours."

She lumbered over to Owen slowly and held Lily's hand, looking into her eyes with an aching heart.

"Take good care of her . . ."

She let go of her baby, trying to conceal her tears by holding her hand against the side of her face. After a moment, Owen ran after her and touched her shoulder.

"Claire. Hey."

He placed Lily in her arms.

"She needs her Mommy."

Claire's lip quivered. Owen ran his hand down her arm.

"It's okay. We can share. I think Lily would be happier with both of us."

And she gave him a hug.

They raised Lily together, becoming her true adoptive parents. Gradually, their connection through Lily evolved into an actual relationship. It only took five days for this to happen, though it felt much longer to the two of them. Neither was surprised when Owen kissed Claire on the cheek as she came home from work, acting like they had been married for years. He was at her house so often that they were practically living together, even before they started sleeping in the same bed. It was a blissful time.

But then it all came crashing down.

Henry Wu called Claire into his private office one day, and although she felt a twinge of fear, she was certain that she was overthinking it. There was no way he could possibly know about what she'd done. She hadn't left any fingerprints, and there were no cameras in the secret lab. He must be calling her in for unrelated reasons, she decided.

She smiled at him stiffly as he stood in the corner of the room, back turned. He was overseeing the production of his assets.

"I'll get straight to the point, Ms. Dearing."

She blinked.

"I have my Ph.D. I'm technically-"

"We have important business to discuss."

Claire gulped.

"I . . . What are you talking about?"

"I have a feeling you already know."

Claire's heart thumped in her chest.

"I'm sorry. You'll have to elaborate . . ."

"You know what's strange? I planned to clone a purebred animal, but it came out as a hybrid. That's out of the ordinary, wouldn't you say?"

Claire gulped.

"Possibly."

"Stranger still, this genetic abnormality can be traced back to a very unlikely source. I didn't ask permission to use this subject's blood for my experiment, of course, but seeing how she's keeping a secret of her own, I'd say it was a fair trade. But then she went and took something of mine, and now she has two secrets to protect. That's not very fair. Don't you agree?"

Claire stood up slowly.

"Dr. Wu . . ."

"Bring me the child, and that will be the end of it. Resist, and you won't like what happens next."

She glared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

After a pause, he shrugged.

"Very well."

He pulled a walkie-talkie from his belt and spoke into it, keeping his eyes fixed on Claire.

"You have my permission to search the house."

Claire's jaw dropped. She turned and ran out of the office, heart racing as she heard Wu call out to her.

"You'll never make it in time. You can kiss that asset goodbye."

She ignored him, sprinting down the hall with desperation. When she entered the parking lot, she saw a group of men circling her car. She backed away and prepared to make the journey on foot, futile as it was. She crossed the island this way, sobbing with desperation. When she entered an untamed portion of the island, she tripped and fell to her hands and knees, weeping heavily. Her eyes were red and her nose was dripping. She was making so much noise that she almost didn't hear the motorcycle that seemed to be approaching her.

When she looked up, her mouth hung open, and she gave a joyous scream. Owen had brought Lily to her, safe from Wu and his cronies. He dismounted the bike and jogged over to her, handing her her baby.

"I know you said not to carry her around like this, but I figured there was no other way to escape those men in time."

Claire covered her mouth, sobbing with relief.

"Owen . . . Owen . . . Owen . . ."

He smiled.

"You can thank me later. Right now, we gotta find a way off this island."

It was easier said than done. They had to hide out until nightfall, when it would be safe to travel to one of the docks. They had to cut through the park, which was easier to navigate than the jungle. There was something unsettling about walking through the resort at night, especially when they were being hunted.

"Kinda creepy, huh?" Owen remarked.

Claire leaned into him fearfully.

"I've never been afraid here before. This used to be my kingdom."

Owen gave a pessimistic laugh.

"Well, I guess it never really belonged to anyone but Wu, knowing what we know now."

Claire continued to march along Main Street, then took a deep breath.

"Owen, I think Lily is ours."

"Of course she is."

"No, genetically I mean. Wu made her with our DNA."

"And the DNA of a dinosaur?"

Claire bit her lip. She was about to confess her secret right then and there, but suddenly, they were blinded by a searchlight, and a plethora of guards wove between the empty buildings, holding tranquilizer guns. Owen dashed towards the closest group.

"Claire, save Lily! I'll hold them o-"

He was beaten to the ground. Lily squealed with agony and reached out to him, but shrunk away when she saw Wu step out of the crowd. Claire held her close as she hid her face in her blazer.

"Well, well, well. It looks like we caught the rogue park manager," Wu chuckled, "Tell me, Claire, was it worth sacrificing your career for a mutant?"

Claire scowled.

"She's not a mutant!"

"Oh, but she is. I created her. Whatever she is, she's not natural. Hand over my asset, please."

Claire growled.

"No! You can't have her!"

"I _must_ have her. She belongs to me."

"No, she doesn't! She's mine!"

"I _own_ her."

"She doesn't belong to you! She never did! She belongs with me! I'm her mother!"

Silence.

Without warning, Wu burst into laughter. The guards followed his example. Claire shrunk as they ridiculed her, whispering amongst themselves. Wu calmed himself down and stepped closer to her, still smiling.

"Ms. Dearing, with all due respect, what you hold in your arms is a creation of InGen. It is a hybrid with no more intelligence than any other animal in this park. You've mistaken its reliance for affection. It's no more your child than a dog or a cat, or a dinosaur, for that matter. Perhaps you should save yourself from further embarrassment and just hand it over."

Claire held the child in front of her, letting Wu's words sink in as she examined her baby. She suddenly realized how foolish she looked, calling this hybrid dinosaur her daughter. Why had she even taken her in the first place? It wasn't in her character. She was supposed to be Claire Dearing the park manager, not some crazy anti-InGen rebel. Wu was right. This child was barely even human.

Slowly, Claire took a step towards Wu. Owen tried to intervene, but he was smacked across the skull once more. With tears in her eyes, Claire handed Lily to Wu. The child started making pained noises when she realized what her mother was doing.

"Eee!"

Claire let her go, and she wailed in panic, reaching out for her with spread fingers.

"Ah!"

Claire took a shaky breath and turned away, refusing to let herself believe that the baby dinosaur was anything more that an animal. Then, just when it seemed like that would be the end of it, Lily began to thrash around, and gave a final plea.

"MA!"

Claire froze. She turned around suddenly and met Lily's gaze. The child reached out and made a grabbing motion.

"Ma . . ."

Wu nodded to the guards restraining Owen.

"Take him away."

Lily began to wail as Wu made his way back to the Innovation Center. Claire met her gaze with wide eyes. Then, she reached up to her neck and tore a gold necklace out of her shirt, throwing it to the ground. Dropping onto all fours, she gave a furious roar and charged Wu, driving her newly-grown horn into his shoulder. He screamed in pain, dropping Lily. Claire picked her up by the scruff of the neck before whipping Owen's captors with her tail. Then, like a crazy, green juggernaut, she plowed through the rest of the guards and headed straight for the docks.

When they reached the pier after a desperate dash through the jungle, Owen slowed to a stop to catch his breath. He stared at Claire with amazement, taking in her new shape.

"Claire, I have no idea what just happened, but you need to know two things. One, that was awesome. Two, you're still kind of hot."

She gave a reluctant smile, but frowned with worry when Lily coughed sadly. She set her down on the ground and stared at her, eyes brimming with tears. Owen took this as a sign to get started on hotwiring a boat, giving them time to sort things out.

"Lily, I am so, _so_ sorry," Claire quavered, wishing her daughter was able to understand speech, "I don't know what I was thinking, letting him take you away like that. I'm ashamed I let it get that far. Listen, Lily, I don't care what they say. You're my daughter, and that's the end of it. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. I'm sorry . . ."

She fell on her front and started sobbing. Lily waddled up to her with worry.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

Lily cocked her head, then sat back on her rump. She stuck her hands in her mouth and crossed her eyes, making funny faces. When Claire laughed through her tears, Lily squealed with joy and hugged her snout. Claire licked her cheek.

"Well, baby girl, things are going to be different from now on. You'll have a proper dinosaur mother, and a . . . _adequate_ father."

Owen shot her a look from the boat. She grinned sassily.

"I know he means well, but there's nothing like a mommy with scales, wouldn't you agree?"

The humor of the moment dissolved when they heard a deep click. Standing on the beach was Vic Hoskins. He was holding a loaded gun. It didn't look like the kind that held tranquilizer darts.

"Planning to sail away, Miss?"

Claire gulped.

"Please, Vic, don't do this. You don't know what you're getting into."

"It ain't my business to know. Someone's gotta protect this company, and if I gotta shoot you to do it, that's what's gonna happen."

"Killing me won't solve anything," Claire insisted, "I'm not your enemy. Please, Vic, let me go. I've never done wrong by you."

"I know. That's why it's unfortunate that I gotta blast your brains out. Why'd you have to go crazy like that? Ah, well. It's much easier to shoot an animal."

As he took aim, Lily darted out from between Claire's legs and wrapped her arms around her elbow. She squealed with fear.

"Mama! Mama!"

Vic lowered his weapon. His face softened almost immediately.

"I didn't know you had a kid . . ."

Claire pulled Lily under her body protectively.

"Don't hurt her. Please. She hasn't done anything wrong."

Vic gulped.

"Is that the asset they're looking for? Are they trying to take away your baby?"

Claire gave a fearful moo. After a pause, Vic let his gun drop into the water.

"I'm not going through with this. I think I just realized who the real bad guys are."

He waddled up to Claire, twiddling his fingers.

"They're gonna wonder why I didn't shoot you. Is there room for four on that boat?"

Claire batted her eyes.

"You want to come with us?"

Vic looked down.

"If you don't want me, I can-"

"That's okay. Hop on."

Vic beamed with excitement and joined her as she stepped on the boat, making it rock under her weight. He held Lily as Claire regained her balance, tickling the dinosaur's nose playfully.

"He's kind of a cute fellow, ain't he?" Vic gushed.

"She's a girl," Owen called from under the engine.

"Really? Cuz he looks like a boy to me . . ."

Their debate was cut short when they heard shouting not too far away. Wu's soldiers were running down the hill. Claire mooed in panic.

"Owen, any chance you can get this thing moving?"

"On it."

He made one final adjustment, then steered the boat out of the harbor. They ducked down as they were hit with a hail of gunfire. As they made their daring escape, Claire noticed that Vic was wincing. He pulled his hand away from his stomach to reveal a dark patch. Claire gasped.

"Vic! You're hurt!"

He nodded.

"Badly, too. I don't think we'll be able to fix this as fugitives."

Claire gulped.

"We'll get you to a hospital, Vic."

He shook his head.

"I can't risk putting you in danger. Let me tell you something, Claire. You've been blessed with a family, which is one of the greatest gifts a person can receive. Don't you ever take it for granted, you hear? This baby needs you, and you need her too. Give her a good life, and tell her that if I survive the lawsuits and bullet holes, she's welcome to come see me whenever."

He turned to Owen.

"Remember how I told you about that place I own in Tennessee?"

Owen gave a single nod.

"Go there. They won't bother you none."

Claire pressed her snout against Vic's cheek.

"Come with us."

"I'll only slow you down. This wasn't meant to be. Someday, maybe. I just gotta be sure you make it out first."

Before she could stop him, he stood up and jumped into the ocean, treading water as he watched them speed away. He gave a warm smile.

"You take care of that kid, Claire! She loves you plenty, I can tell!"

Claire nodded with tears in her eyes, watching him as he swam back to shore. She turned to Lily and licked her cheek.

"I'll do as he says. He's right, you know."

"Eh."

She pressed her snout against her daughter, who hugged it with a big smile.

"I'm here, Lily. I'm here. And I always will be."

"Ma!"

Claire smiled.

"I promise, I won't ever leave you again. I love you, Lily. I love you."

***TSFEW***

Oh, Lily! What was she going to do, now that her mother was gone? . . .

***TSFEW***

Claire wandered into the next world, and was happy to see her ranch in Tennessee. Her joy disappeared when she remembered that she'd probably never return to her own home, which was probably going to fade away with her native world. Part of her wanted to rush into the house, fling open the bedroom door, and collapse on the bed, but she caught sight of her other self and Owen, who looked just as miserable as she was feeling. What was the matter with them? Didn't they know how lucky they were to be alive?

Owen put his hand on Claire's back, between her plates.

"Pony's set us up with this ranch, Claire. It's nice and big, so you can wander wherever you want."

Claire did not reply. The Claire observing her tilted her head with confusion.

"He says we'll be safe here. They won't be able to come looking for us. Not sure why they'd want to. We never did anything wrong."

Claire mooed softly. As she slowed down, Owen pressed his hands against her side with tenderness, urging her forward.

"Don't stop now. We need to get indoors. It looks like rain."

Claire lowed in protest, but continued on her way. Encouraged by this cooperation, Owen forced a smile.

"It's gonna be okay, Claire. I'll do everything I can to make you happy. I know it's not the same as being human, but we'll manage. This doesn't have to be . . . the end . . ."

He broke off as his voice began to quaver. Claire mooed and nudged his hand when she noticed his distress. He draped his palm over her snout and began to rub her horn firmly.

"We're still together. Nothing's changed. We'll find a way."

She gave a deep rumble. Owen stared ahead with a smile that was beginning to unravel.

"I wish I had come back sooner, Claire. I tried to be fast, but it wasn't enough . . ."

He swallowed and looked down.

"Because of me, you've lost everything. And I've lost you forever . . ."

When he began to cry, Claire mooed with concern and bumped his knee with her beak. He knelt in front of her suddenly, grabbing her face.

"Please, Claire. Please tell me you're still in there."

She blinked.

"Come on. You don't even have to say anything. Just nod. Shake your head. Do _something_. Give me a sign that you understand me."

She sniffed his cheek and began to lick it. Owen's breathing became less even.

"Is that it? Is that your sign?"

Claire bent her neck and began to graze. Owen's face fell.

"Claire? . . ."

She did not answer to her name. Owen lay flat in front of her, brushing her cheek with two fingers.

"Claire, just nod. That's all you have to do. Nod."

She continued to tear up clumps of grass. Owen's lip quivered.

"I know there's still a part of you left. It might be hard to see it, but I know it's there. People don't just leave . . ."

When she had swallowed her cud, she snorted gently and looked into his eyes. He held her chin in his palms.

"I still love you, Claire. And I know you're alive in there, because I can feel it, understand?"

She gave a single nod. Owen's face lit up. He hugged her neck.

"Oh, Claire, I knew you were okay. I realize it's hard for you, but we'll get used to it. We just have to bring out your human side. I don't care how long it takes: I'm going to save you."

She grunted.

Owen kept his promise, at least in the sense that he was trying his hardest to bring back the Claire he loved. Some days, it seemed like he had moderate success, but others, she was unresponsive. He had persuaded her to eat from a bowl on the table, at least, but whether this was a human memory or the result of training, he did not know. She seemed to care about him, in any case, because she sometimes tried to regurgitate food into his mouth. He didn't want to offend her, but this saurian behavior was counterproductive. It was crucial that he suppress her instincts as much as possible, or she might lapse into the comfort of non-sentience.

One afternoon, when the air was cold and crisp, and the sky grey and pale, a herd of wild stegoceratopses came lumbering out of the mist. Claire lifted her head before they were even visible, sensing their presence. She was sitting on the porch by Owen's feet, and when she stirred, he lowered his newspaper to see what was the matter. He followed her line of sight and felt his heart sink.

The leader of the herd lifted his head and gave a deep call, breath escaping in a silver puff. Claire gave a slightly higher call in return. After a beat, she made a motion as if to stand, and Owen promptly grabbed her by the horn and forced her down again. She whimpered in protest, but he stepped on her snout until he was sure that she'd stay put.

"Don't be stupid. Those are wild animals, Claire. You don't belong with them."

She didn't seem to agree with him.

For the next few days, Owen had to make special efforts to keep her from wandering off to join the herd, from locking the doors to physically holding her back. When he realized that she would starve without consuming what was left of the lawn, he tied her to a post in the front yard, much to her chagrin.

"I'm sorry, Claire, but this is the only way I can keep you safe. You'll thank me when you've come to your senses."

But when the herd began to draw together in preparation for the next stage of their migration, Claire wailed in misery. Something inside of her yearned to join them, and Owen wondered if she would feel more at home with her own kind. But that was ridiculous, of course, since she was human. On the inside, anyway. Of that, he was certain.

Still, it wasn't easy living with a silent, unconscious human being. Claire seemed foul when Owen finally untied her, but even so, she didn't attempt an escape. He had managed to override her instincts, and he was confident that he'd have her fixed by this time next year. With a little luck, he wouldn't have to worry about losing her again.

Of course, that didn't stop him from missing her right now. There were days when he was in desperate need of her companionship, and he sometimes felt on the brink of insanity. She was so close, but still so far, and until she was fully sentient, he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't expect anything more of her than she could offer. But it was hard. Very hard.

She entered his room one day- he briefly wondered if he had left the door open on purpose- and sniffed the air. She was curious about what he was doing, and he felt a twinge of discomfort at her naïvety.

"Claire, I need to be alone right now."

She moved towards him, snuffing gently. He pushed her away halfheartedly.

"Not now, Claire. Not now."

She gave a confused moo, then sat back on her haunches. She observed him for a few minutes, until he set his hand on the bed, leaning back a little. He told himself that he was preparing to shoo her away, but when she began to sniff and stick her snout where it didn't belong, he realized that he was not going to stop her. He wondered if it was wrong to do this. He wasn't encouraging her, exactly, but he wasn't repelling her, either. He was just sort of letting it happen.

And he continued to let it happen. There came a point when she was so used to it that she called to him first, and he did what she wanted, though he decided this counted as being active in their shared secret. Not that it was better to be _inactive_ , of course, but at least that made it easier for him to lie to himself. But now he was encouraging it. He was starting to feel like scum.

Nevertheless, he never did anything about it, and as time went on, he found that he was trying less fervently to bring her back. He allowed her to roll in the mud and eat off the floor, he failed to encourage human manners and mannerisms, and by the time fall came again, an outsider might have viewed their situation as an owner-pet dynamic, with a few questionable activities scattered throughout. She was basically his livestock.

Once again, the stegoceratops herd passed through the valley, and this time, Claire was the first to call. Owen clamped his hand over her mouth when she did, but she continued to wail, and he became frustrated with her stupid insistence. He grabbed her by the horn and dragged her into the field, where he slammed her to the ground before tying her up. She continued to moan and moo, but he kicked her side without warning, and she broke off in a whimper.

"Shut up! Just shut up! You're not an animal, Claire!"

He doubted the truthfulness of his words even as they came out of his mouth. She didn't seem to notice this inner conflict, as she was still curled up in fear. He stared at her shaking form and wondered what reason a two ton dinosaur had to fear a comparatively minuscule man like him. Perhaps he had trained her to think that way, and she had forgotten the power of her current form. Well, that was a good thing. If she was less of a dinosaur, logically, she was more human.

As soon as Owen left to make breakfast, however, Claire started wailing. She roared and bawled and screeched and howled, and she pulled on her rope until it was taut, and her feet made lines in the ground. The wild dinosaurs knew not to come too close, or Owen might attack them. They could see him watching from the window, after all.

A few days later, when it came time for the stegoceratops herd to move on, Claire wailed louder than ever. She tossed her head and stamped with agitation, and Owen wondered how she had this much energy. He was confident she hadn't slept for quite some time, and she certainly hadn't stopped crying since the dinosaurs first appeared. When she saw him step out the door, however, she fell silent and shrunk away. She retreated farther when he marched up to her post, but instead of kicking her again, he untied the rope. She was visibly confused by this development.

"Go on. Get out of here."

He knew she couldn't understand him, so he pushed her gently.

"Just go."

She looked at the herd, then at him. He did not meet her gaze.

"I'm letting you go. You're free to be a dinosaur."

She turned back to the herd, but could not ignore his sorrow. She pressed her beak into his palm, hoping for a positive reaction. He lashed out suddenly, shoving her away.

"Stop it! Just go! Isn't this what you wanted?!"

She whimpered uncertainly. Owen started chasing her, waving his arms threateningly.

"Don't pretend, Claire! I'm sick of pretending. Just go!"

She retreated hesitantly. He threw a rock at her.

"GO!"

She approached the stegoceratops herd, but turned back to look at him before getting too close. She took a deep breath and called to him, possibly hoping he would join her. He didn't move.

The alpha called to his herdmates, and Claire obeyed his command, though she seemed conflicted as she made this decision. When she had disappeared in the forest, Owen fell to his knees and began to weep.

It was a long, cold winter, and Owen spent most of it alone in his cabin. He had a hard time eating, and he rarely slept, but even so, he felt nothing. Emptiness consumed him as he sat by the window, staring at silent snowflakes and muffled scenery. He wasn't sure what he thought about all of this, or if he was even thinking at all. He was hollow, and that was the end of it.

Then, miraculously, Claire returned. It was spring, and the icicles on the porch had begun to drip. Owen knew this because he was sitting by the window, as usual. At first, he thought he might be hallucinating, but he heard the familiar tone of Claire's moo and knew for certain that she had come back. He sprinted out of the living room, pushing the sofa back as he did, and burst through the front door, running towards Claire, who had started to run as well. They met halfway across the field, where Owen hugged Claire's throat as she licked the back of his neck, and they clung to each other with sheer joy.

"You came back! I thought you were gone for good!"

She shook her head. Owen's jaw dropped.

"You understand me?"

She blinked. Owen ran his fingers through his hair.

"Not everything, no . . . We're not there yet. But you understand a little. You've been practicing."

She smiled and licked his cheek. He scratched her chin merrily.

"I wish I could ask what you were up to, but I guess you have no way of telling me. It looks like you put on a bit of weight . . ."

She sniffed his collar noisily. Owen smiled.

"Come inside, Claire. I've missed you like crazy."

She gave a pleasant chirp and followed him to the kitchen, where he gave her a few carrots he had been subconsciously saving for her. He wasn't sure whether he truly expected her to return, but he must have trusted her on some level. In any case, they were together again, and he was overjoyed that he would no longer have to be alone.

But then it all came crashing down.

Owen awoke one morning to find Claire sitting in the family room, looking frazzled and sweaty, but peaceful. The first thing he noticed was that she had suddenly dropped several pounds, and it wasn't long before he realized where they had disappeared to. Nestled in the crook of her tail was a big, fat dinosaur egg. He stared at it with horror and betrayal.

"Claire . . ."

She lifted her head and smiled at him. Owen was dumbfounded. Claire let him approach her like it was no big deal, like there was nothing wrong with what she had done. He stared at the repugnant ovoid and felt his stomach lurch.

"How could you? . . ."

She cocked her head. He glared at her.

"You understand full well what you did. You know why it's wrong. Here I was, hoping you'd finally come around and be the Claire I fell in love with, but you chose to be a dinosaur instead. And now you want me to feed you, give you shelter, support this disgusting life you've chosen to live . . . I'm not gonna take that abuse. You didn't love me enough to return to me when I needed you, and I sure as hell won't be there for you when you need me!"

She examined his face with worry, unsure of why he was so upset. This only made him angrier.

"Are you proud of yourself, Claire? Are you proud that you slept with an animal? Did you think he was better than me because he wasn't human? I wouldn't doubt it, Claire. You're a dinosaur. You're a stegoceratops. You're not even Claire anymore. You're unfit to live in this house, you disgusting animal!"

She flinched a little, then stood up to console him. He stepped back.

"Don't you try to fool me. I know you're just using me for your own selfish ends. You don't love me. If you loved me, you'd try to be human again. When you love someone, you don't just leave them."

She mooed and approached him, concern clouding her face. He met her innocent gaze and felt his anger turning to helpless despair.

"Don't touch me. I don't want- I-"

He covered his face as he burst into tears, then ran upstairs. Claire pursued him, but he locked the bedroom door, and refused to open it, though she pawed at it vigorously. He fell on his bed and lay sprawled in an uncomfortable position for hours.

When he finally sat up, he did so like the living dead. With a blank, unsettling gaze, he reached forward and took his bedside lamp in his hand, wrapping his fingers around the neck methodically. He crept out the door with a stiff and silent gait, passing Claire's snoring form, as she had apparently fallen asleep in the hall. He marched downstairs and entered the family room. The egg was sitting by the heater, safe and sound. Owen stared down at it with loathing. This sphere was a physical representation of the barrier between him and Claire. It was a symbol of her disdain and disrespect, and it disgusted him to no end. If he wanted a chance to be with the human Claire again, it would have to be obliterated.

He raised the lamp above his head like a club.

For a few seconds, he remained frozen in this violent pose, but his face softened a little, and tears began to cross his cheeks. He knew he couldn't go through with it, even before he lowered his arm and dropped the lamp on the carpet. He didn't know what he was trying to prove to himself. The egg was not the cause of his conflict with Claire, but one symptom of a larger issue. Destroying it would not solve anything. Furthermore, it was Claire's child, and although he hated her for being unfaithful to him, he couldn't blame her for her infidelity. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, she was a dinosaur, and could not continue to live as a semi-human under his forceful encouragement. When all was said and done, Claire was a helpless innocent in this situation, and although he did not agree with the path she had chosen, it was his duty to support her in the lifestyle that suited her best, considering her changed shape.

At that moment, Owen accepted the fact that the Claire he loved was gone, but he vowed to honor her memory by taking care of the body she once occupied. This decision did not come easily, and he soon broke down and wept beside the unborn child of the dinosaur he wanted to love. Claire heard him crying and came downstairs, and although she was clearly confused by his reaction, she sat by his side and nuzzled him as he sobbed. After a few minutes, he took her head in his hands and pressed his forehead against her snout.

"It's okay, Claire. I'll take care of you. I know we can't love each other like this, but I won't let you live in an unkind world. I'll give you everything you could ever want, and I won't ask for anything in return. I should have accepted the reality of your situation sooner. I'm sorry I was so selfish."

She gave a moo that almost sounded like his name, but he reminded himself that she would never speak again as long as she lived.

"Claire, I haven't been there for you. You haven't been here for me either, but it wasn't your fault. I always had the opportunity to support you, and I promise I'll do exactly that."

She licked his cheek. He squeezed her gently.

"I love you, Claire. I love you enough that I'll take care of you even when I have no proof that you're really there. This isn't the kind of love I was hoping for, but I do care about you in my own way . . ."

She beamed and pressed her beak against his forehead. He smiled.

"You're really special, you know that? You make me happy, even when it's not exactly you in that body. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were right here with me. I guess this is what you'd be like if you were born an animal."

She rested her head on his lap, and he stroked her frill.

"You can stay here all summer, Claire, and if you want to join the herd in the fall, I won't stop you. Next spring, I'll be waiting right here with all the carrots you can eat . . . and enough for your baby, too. I'll help you raise it, if you need me to. Whatever's in that egg is half of your genetic code, so I'm sure I'll learn to love it, at least a little . . ."

He rubbed her neck and stood up.

"Speaking of which, let's get the little guy a blanket."

For the next few weeks, Owen took care of the egg, though Claire did most of the practical work. They set the egg in a basket on the kitchen table, and lined the makeshift nest with feathers and hay. Claire turned the egg constantly, and Owen used a stethoscope to check the pulse, which was rarely abnormal. He got used to this system, but although he was fully supportive of Claire, a part of him still felt empty and alone. One night, he ran his hand over the ivory shell of the unhatched dinosaur, reflecting on what could have been.

"You know, I was hoping that Claire would settle down with me, and we'd have kids of our own someday . . ."

The egg, unsurprisingly, didn't reply. Owen sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"It's not that I don't like you. I mean, I'm kind of jealous that Claire chose someone else over me, but . . . I mean, that was her decision, right? I trust her on that, even if it breaks my heart."

He stroked the egg gently.

"Well, I promise to be kind to you, anyway. You're Claire's baby, after all, and I love her very, very much. I don't think I could ever find someone like her. Not in a million years. Your mother is a special woman, did you know that?"

The egg didn't have an answer. Owen gulped and leaned forward on the table.

"I wish things were different, you know? It's selfish to want Claire all for myself, but I envisioned this moment differently. I thought it would be me and her, and our beautiful baby. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with you, but I . . ."

He choked a little, then squeezed his eyes shut.

". . . I wanted it to be different."

He swallowed and pulled the egg closer.

"But listen, I won't let that get between us. I'll give you a good life. You'll have everything you could ever want, and I'll . . . I'll manage. You're the most important part of my life now. You deserve to be given a fair chance. We'll find a way. Me and Claire, I mean. We're gonna do this together."

He didn't realize that Claire was standing behind him until she reached over his shoulder and placed her hand on his.

'Rrr-grr-rrr.'

He smiled up at her, but gave a startled jump when he felt the egg twitch. It cracked down the front, and soon, a tiny horn was poking out the front. It retreated into the shell before bursting through violently, revealing the entire body. Owen's jaw dropped.

"That's no dinosaur . . ."

Indeed, it was a strange mix of Stegoceratops and human. It had a soft beak, round humps, and blue eyes, which looked very much like Owen's. He stared at the child with amazement.

"It's ours . . ."

He looked up at Claire.

"It's ours, isn't it?"

She smiled and nodded. Owen laughed, then laughed a little harder, then scooped up the baby and hugged Claire with his available arm, cackling like an insane person.

"This whole time, the baby was ours, and I didn't even know it! I was so upset, and- Oh god. I almost smashed it with a lamp."

Claire pulled her head back and frowned.

"Murg-err-rir-ar-ramp?"

Owen smiled sheepishly.

"Something like that . . . Anyway, we don't have to worry about that. We have a beautiful baby girl, and I couldn't be happier."

Claire snorted cheerfully and licked his cheek. He held the baby up to get a better look at it. It was female.

"She really is something, isn't she, Claire? I've never seen anything like her. I gotta say, this is the most beautiful baby I could have asked for. What do you want to call her?"

Claire smiled.

"Lily."

***TSFEW***

Claire didn't like seeing Owen unhappy. She hated to think about how upset he must be right now.

***TSFEW***

Claire saw a familiar face that made her heart sink. Penumbra was driving her circus train, and in a cage behind her was the native Claire, who looked lonely and miserable. This must be a world where she signed Penumbra's contract without interference, she realized. They plowed through the mountains, sending up a thick, white cloud from the smokestack. The moon was full, and everything outside was tinted silver in its light. Penumbra turned back to look at her prisoner with a mocking sneer.

"You know where we are, right?"

Claire didn't respond. Penumbra smirked.

"This was your ranch. I wonder if your family is still here. They might have moved away. It's been a year . . ."

Claire lay down on her belly, draping her chin over her front leg. Penumbra frowned.

"I'll bet they've forgotten you. They've probably found a replacement by now . . ."

Claire sniffled, but raised her head when she heard a loud moo from the valley below. She rushed to the window and saw a message written out in painted rocks.

 _WE LOVE YOU CLAIRE!_

She wagged her tail as the moo came again, then gave a loud call in reply. She lowed desperately, calling out to her daughter, but Penumbra lifted her wand and gave her a shock.

"Stop it! You're not allowed to communicate with them!"

Claire fell silent, but continued to stare out the window. Her throat wobbled, and tears ran down her cheeks. When the cabin was out of sight, she dropped on all fours and curled up in the hay. Penumbra didn't say anything more.

Another year passed, during which they crossed the country on their little train, performing for guests at the circus. Claire didn't enjoy her new job, but she obeyed Penumbra's commands to keep her family safe. When she left the ring, she'd become visibly depressed, and it only got worse with each passing day.

When they made a loop of the ranch for the second year running, Claire didn't bother looking out the window. She simply swayed in the corner of her cage like a distressed elephant, tears trickling down her snout occasionally. Penumbra looked back, then stopped the train. She was clearly upset that she wasn't getting a rise out of her prisoner. Claire turned her head a little as she marched up to her stiffly.

"I'm going to get your family. You have fifteen minutes, no more. Don't try anything funny."

Claire thought she might be playing mind games, but sure enough, she came back with Lily and Owen. As soon as Claire saw them, she leapt forward, tugging on the chain around her leg. Penumbra unlocked it with her wand and opened her cage. As soon as Claire was free, she wrapped her arms around Lily and held her against her chest, weeping. Lily sniffled and buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

"I missed you so much, Mama. I thought about you every day."

Owen joined in the hug.

"It hasn't been the same without you, Claire. We need you."

"We love you, Mama!"

Claire smiled and opened her mouth, but of course, she couldn't speak. She lowed with frustration as she tried to tell her family how much she loved them, and what it meant to see them again. Owen hugged her neck as she cried with disappointment.

"It's okay, Claire. You don't have to say a word. We know what you mean."

She smiled through her tears and licked his cheek. He laughed, crying too, and ran his hand down her back. She rested her chin on his head and let herself get wrapped up in the moment. Behind her, Penumbra glared at the happy family with hatred. With a flick of her wand, she sent the chain snaking across the floor until it clamped around Claire's leg. She mooed in panic as it dragged her back into the cage. Owen ran to bring her back, but the door slammed in his face. He wheeled around and glared at Penumbra.

"Hang on! You didn't give us enough time!"

She sneered.

"You're lucky I gave you any time at all."

Lily, meanwhile, was reaching between the bars. Claire did the same, touching her daughter's cheek.

"Mama, don't go! I need you!"

Claire snuffed gently and touched her horn against Lily's. She gave a comforting smile and squeezed her shoulder. Penumbra raised her wand.

"Get back. She's not yours anymore."

Lily looked into her mother's eyes, and Claire gave a slow nod, praying Penumbra wouldn't harm her in the time it took for her to make her decision. Reluctantly, Lily let her fingers slip from her mother's hand.

"I love you, Ma."

Claire nodded emphatically, then let her daughter go. Owen wiped his eyes.

"We'll wait a million years if we have to, Claire. Someday, we'll be together again."

Penumbra pushed him back.

"Not likely. Get out before I lose my patience."

Lily and Owen dragged themselves out of the train, keeping Claire in their sight for as long as possible. When they were gone, Penumbra leaned out the entrance and shouted at them.

"Keep walking. If you try to turn back, I'll _hurt_ her."

And she slammed the door. Claire looked up at Penumbra from her cage, eyes empty. She pulled back her lips and turned to the engine.

"You don't deserve my mercy," she spat, "You must pay for what you've done."

Claire turned away from her and sat in the corner, head hanging. Penumbra pulled a large lever halfway down, and the train came to life, rattling in place.

"Why should you have the right to a family when mine was taken away from me?"

She continued to fiddle with the controls.

"It's not fair. Everything I loved was destroyed. Now you'll know how it feels. You'll see how I suffered all these years . . ."

Claire didn't respond. Penumbra scowled and threw a loose shoe at the cage. Claire jumped.

"Well? Aren't you going to react?"

Claire shook her head.

"Why not?"

Claire sighed and lay in the hay, placing her chin between her feet. Penumbra marched up to her with burning eyes.

"What's the matter with you? Aren't you going to fight back?"

Claire shook her head.

"You're too cowardly to fight?"

Claire shook her head again, then pointed at the ranch, though she could not see it through the wall. Penumbra's face fell.

"They're none of my concern. They're not the ones that need to be taught a lesson. This all happened because of your mistake, understand?"

Claire nodded sullenly. Penumbra grabbed the bars with white knuckles.

"So you admit it?! You admit that it was your fault?!"

Claire lifted her head and stared at her blankly. After a pause, Penumbra frowned and raised her wand.

"What, do you have something to say? Say it, then. But this is that last time I'll let you speak."

She pointed her wand at Claire's throat, which began to glow. When the light faded, she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, Penumbra. I hope that one day you learn to be happy."

Penumbra whipped the bars with her wand.

"What's _that_ supposed to be? An insult? Are you honestly going to act all high and mighty when you're locked in a cage?!"

"You may be holding me here against my will, Penumbra, but I'm freer than you are. You choose not to remove your own chains. I feel sorry for you."

"So you pity me?! Is that it?!"

"No. I just feel bad that you're unhappy, that's all. I hope this brings you peace, though I doubt it will. Maybe once I'm gone, you'll finally be able to live again."

Penumbra glared at her, then lifted her wand and took her voice once more.

"That's enough out of you. We're already behind schedule. If you try to screw up the next show, you won't like what I have in store."

Claire sighed. Penumbra gave a sharp nod and turned back to the controls.

"Right, then. Let's get a move on."

She wrapped her hand around the lever, but did not pull it. She became as still as Claire, like they were both cursed to remain motionless in a tableau representing a crucial decision. But time would not wait for them, and the choice had to be made. Penumbra lowered her hand, though a part of her was keen to keep holding on. She stood up abruptly and unlocked Claire's cage, restoring her voice when the door was open.

"Go."

Claire searched her face for insincerity, but she was serious.

"Go now, before I change my mind."

Claire slipped out of the train at a moderate speed, so as not to imply aggression nor allow her the chance to reconsider. When she was outside, she bounded towards her family with a fluttering heart, but skidded to a stop when she heard crying. She crept back to the train and saw Penumbra bent over the controls, weeping into her arms. Claire approached her calmly, then reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Come with me."

Penumbra looked up, eyes swollen and red.

"What?"

"Come with me, Penny. Come home."

She shook her head.

"I can't. Not after what I did to you."

"I forgive you."

"Your family won't."

"Maybe not right away, but they will in time. I promise, everything is going to be okay."

Penumbra sniffed.

"Why are you doing this? What could you possibly gain by helping me?"

"Nothing. I'm doing this for you. What you did wasn't right, but you've suffered more than any person ever should. Your family was taken from you, and I want to give you the chance to join ours."

She pressed her beak against Penumbra's arm.

"I know you're scared, but I promise, I won't let anything bad happen to you. Just give it a try. If you don't like it, you can always leave."

Penumbra stared into her eyes, showing at least five conflicting emotions.

"Are you sure? . . ."

"Of course. I wouldn't have come back if I didn't mean it."

Penumbra took a slow, shaky breath and picked up her wand. Claire flinched as she snapped it in half, tossing it out the window. She changed into her stegoceratops form.

"I'll come with you."

Claire smiled and led her out of the train. When she saw Owen and Lily wandering towards the cabin, she mooed loudly and ran to greet them. They spun around in surprise, then collided with her in a messy hug. Their celebration was cut short when they noticed Penumbra lumbering up to them with her head held low.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Owen sneered.

Claire held his cheek and gave him a meaningful stare.

"Penny's going to live with us now. We've talked it over. It's alright."

"Like hell it is!"

Claire clamped her front foot over his mouth.

"Shoosh. I know what I'm doing. Trust me."

Owen frowned. Penumbra backed away, tail between her legs.

"This was a mistake . . ."

Claire snorted and cut her off.

"Don't go. Owen's just a bit thick-headed, that's all. Some things never change."

He crossed his arms.

"Claire, you just got back. I'm not going to ruin that by keeping that woman with us."

"I'm only back because Penny let me go."

"After two years of abuse!"

"Owen, she's all alone . . ."

"As she should be. Think of what she did to you, Claire!"

Lily stamped her foot.

"Enough! We shouldn't be fighting. I say we listen to Mom. If she wants Penny to stay, she must have a good reason."

Penumbra exhaled through her nostrils.

"I won't stay if it's going to cause trouble. That's the last thing I want right now. I know it won't make up for what I've done, and I don't blame you if you don't believe me, but I truly am sorry. I don't want to cause your family any more pain."

She started lumbering away, plates swaying gently in the moonlight. Claire turned to Owen with pleading eyes. He sighed.

"Claire, she stole two years of your life . . ."

"And she's had hundreds of years stolen from hers. People suffer. Sometimes, it's at the hands of others. But if we don't forgive someone when they make an effort to do the right thing, what message are we sending?"

Owen looked down.

"I'm just not comfortable with this."

"I know, but she has nowhere else to go. Think of all the times you were alone, Owen. Think of what that did to you. If you hadn't found love, don't you think you'd have lashed out too?"

"You're excusing two years of slavery."

"Owen, she lost her entire family. She spent years waiting for a Queen that never came. We have no way of knowing what she went through. Why should we measure pain, anyway? Can't we just try to heal and move on? Won't you try to accept her . . . for me?"

Owen groaned.

"Fine. I'm not happy about it, but I can see you won't change your mind."

Claire licked his cheek quickly.

"Thank you."

She thundered up to Penumbra.

"He says you can stay."

"I'd rather not."

"I know that's not true."

"You're a reminder of the awful things I've done."

Claire tilted her head sadly.

"Penny, not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened to my people. I wasn't there for them when they needed me. But when I'm reminded of what I failed to do, I try to be better. Now, I'm going to be here for you."

She pulled Penumbra into a hug, sitting back on her haunches. This startled her greatly. After a moment, however, her beak quivered, and she began to cry with gratitude.

"I'm sorry . . ."

"I am too. It's okay."

"It's not okay, but I'm still sorry . . ."

Claire smiled.

"Well, that's a start. I'm sure that in time, we can be much better than just 'okay'."

***TSFEW***

The observing Claire remained in this world for quite some time, thinking hard about what she had seen. Part of her wanted this reality to be her own, as she could amend the untimely murder of the poor dinosaur who had suffered for so long.

But this was not real, or at least not to Claire, and she was forced to move on.

***TSFEW***

Claire flinched when she entered the next world. She thought she had walked in on a private moment between Owen and her other self, but when he pulled away from her neck, she saw fangs. Stranger still, Claire changed into a human voluntarily. Whatever had made this world come to pass, it was beyond the observing Claire's comprehension.

Claire and Owen held each other and fell back in the mossy undergrowth of a dark forest. After a few minutes of silence, Claire spoke up.

"I feel like shit."

Owen frowned with concern.

"Did I take too much blood?"

She shook her head.

"I'm not sick. It's more of an emotional shittiness. I feel awful about what happened."

"It wasn't your fault."

"It undeniably was. I went crazy."

"That was just the vampire in you."

" _You're_ not crazy."

"I'm not a Vampire Queen."

Claire snorted.

"Does that mean James is?"

"I think we should call him that. Makes it seem less crappy for us. I don't know how I'd get along without a sense of humor."

There was a long pause before Claire spoke.

"Owen, I don't love James."

"Hm?"

"I know I forcefed him blood, but if I had to do it again, I'd choose you. I mean, I _wouldn't_ choose you, because no one deserves to be forced into permanent vampirism, but if I had to choose, I'd- I mean-"

Owen placed his finger over her lips.

"I know what you mean. It's okay. We're together now."

" _Together_ together?"

"What other 'together' _is_ there?"

"I thought you might just be keeping me around for the blood. It's guilt-free."

"I wouldn't say that. Even if this dinosaur thing you have going on de-vampires you, I don't feel great about draining your fluids . . . Hey, you're not just staying with me out of obligation, right?"

Claire shook her head fiercely.

"I really love you, Owen, and once we've killed James, we'll both be human and happy for the rest of our days."

"I hope so . . . Have we decided which one of us will kill him?"

"I will. This whole thing is my fault, and besides, you're partly under his control. He could manipulate you."

"Maybe. I wouldn't turn on you, though. I don't think he's powerful enough to do that."

"Let's not risk it. Once we find him, I'll put an end to this vampire plague once and for all."

"Let's just hope he hasn't made another Queen."

After a beat, Claire shrugged.

"I know it's awful to say, but as long as you change back, I don't care about any of the other vampires. Hell, if he hadn't bitten you, I'd have let him go off and suck anyone he wanted."

"Maybe phrase that differently."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Alright. Let's get some sleep. We have a long way to go tomorrow night."

"Goodnight, Claire."

"Goodnight."

When the darkness of the forest changed from shadows to regular nighttime obscurity, Claire yawned and sat up, rubbing gunk out of her left eye. She panicked when she realized that Owen was no longer by her side, but soon noticed him sitting at the base of a large pine tree with his arms around his legs. She gave him a questioning look.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"So why'd you get up?"

"The sunlight made it through the canopy."

He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a nasty burn. Claire covered her mouth.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing that won't heal."

After a pause, he stood up.

"Should I wake you, next time?"

"Do what you want, but don't watch me sleep."

"Why not?"

"It's creepy."

"It helps me think."

"About what?"

"Things."

She frowned.

"What kind of things?"

He paused.

"Like whether or not you-"

He stopped himself.

"Like how much you actually love me."

Claire batted her eyes.

"You don't think I love you?"

"I do, but I'm worried. What if we can't fix this vampire thing? What if James gets away?"

Claire started walking.

"We'll find him. We have time."

Owen trotted after her.

"But what if we get tired of hunting him down? I mean, it's been a year now, and I'm starting to think that maybe . . . I don't know. It might be nice to settle down and just forget about curing me."

"But you're a vampire."

"I know, and it sucks, but what's the point of changing back if it takes until we're eighty, you know? I want to be able to enjoy life, and as long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

"I appreciate that, but I can't live knowing I took away your humanity."

"Are you sure that's what you're worried about?"

Claire stopped walking.

"What else would I be worried about?"

"Being with a vampire in general."

Claire turned.

"Owen, not this again . . ."

"It hurts you, Claire. I can see it. Even if you're not infected by it, I can't stand making marks on that beautiful neck of yours."

"They go away when I change."

"But then we have to do it all over again. You have to endure that pain every night."

"Yes, and if it keeps you alive, I'm not about to stop."

"I don't want to hurt you, Claire."

"It's only fair."

" _Only fair_?"

"Yes. Back at the park, I hurt you more often, and in worse ways, so this is my cross to bear."

"Don't talk like that."

"But you know it's true. I bit you loads of times without thinking about how you might feel. I used you, manipulated you, and did quite a bit of physical damage, as I recall. I don't want to be a hypocrite by dishing it out and not taking it, as they say."

"That's not a very good philosophy, relationship-wise."

She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Owen, I want this to be over. Once we kill James, you'll be human, and I'll be . . . partly human . . . and we can have a normal life."

"Why can't we just have a less-than-normal life right now?"

Claire wheeled around suddenly.

"So you want to just stay this way, is that it? You want to be a vampire and suck my dinosaur blood and go on living when I'm dead, doomed to be alone until you find a replacement or are killed?"

Owen gulped.

"I hadn't thought of that last part."

"No, of course not. You haven't thought any of this through."

"Maybe not, but-"

"You can't live the rest of your life as a vampire, period. It's just not right."

Owen thought about it.

"What if we were both-"

"Then we'd both need blood."

He thought some more.

"What if you changed into a dinosaur to give me blood, let me take more than I need, change into a human, let me bite you, bite me in return for blood, and then-"

"Repeat the same process for the rest of our lives, or until I eventually age, since that's what would happen in the time I'm not a vampire?"

Owen blinked.

"Well, I'm just spitballing, here. It might not be as bad as that . . ."

Claire took an unsteady breath.

"We have to do this, Owen. I took your life, and it's my duty to restore it."

"But why? I'd be happy with you no matter what we are."

"So you're happy slinking in the shadows, feeding on a big fat reptile, unable to see your own face in the mirror or drop a bag of bird-feed without counting the seeds like a cross between Rain Man and that goddamn vampire on Sesame Street?"

Owen frowned.

"Claire, you have OCD, so this is kind of a pot and kettle situation."

She rubbed the space between her eyes.

"Owen, you are severely disabled at the moment. We can't just pretend like that's not the case."

He took her available hand.

"Claire, no one said it was gonna be easy. Not everyone gets their relationship handed to them on a silver platter. Sometimes, you gotta accept that there's no such thing as 'normal' and make the best of what you got. I may not be technically alive, but I guarantee that settling down is closer to living than what we're doing right now."

Claire stared into his eyes, pupils flicking back and forth a little before her jaw went limp. Tears began to slide down her cheeks, and she slowly fell forward and leaned on Owen's chest, sobbing noisily. He stroked her hair uncertainly, but sympathetically, and waited for her to calm down. When she pulled back, there was wetness beneath her nose and on her chin.

"Owen, I can't live like this. Every day, I'm reminded of what I did to you, and I can't get past it."

"Sure you can. It just takes time. I forgive you, if that makes it any easier."

She sniffed.

"No, Owen, it doesn't. You can sit here and stare at me with those big puppy dog eyes, but all I see is that same look you gave me when I was your Queen. You think you're okay with being a vampire, but you're not. You just want to be with me, regardless of the pain it causes you."

Owen narrowed his eyes.

" . . . Yes? . . ."

Claire sobbed and buried her face in his shirt. He went back to stroking her hair, but she pulled away suddenly.

"No, we can't give up now. We're going to find James and put an end to this. I don't care if it takes twenty years: we're bringing him to justice."

As she marched away with resolve, Owen lifted a finger.

"Um, _I_ might have an issue with twenty years . . ."

But she wasn't listening.

A few days later, Owen hopped up to Claire with excitement. She had been picking berries, but when she saw him coming, she folded the cloth she was carrying so that he wouldn't start counting them compulsively.

"Claire, I have some good news!"

"You found James?"

" . . . No. I figured out how to change into a moth. Watch."

He closed his eyes tight and put his fingers on his temples, and gradually, he sprouted antennae and shrunk down to the size of a keychain. When he was completely insectoid, he fluttered up to Claire and landed on her finger.

"See?" he squeaked in his tiny little moth voice, "I think I'm getting pretty good at it, and this one was much harder than being a bat."

Claire smiled, and Owen felt a little warmer.

"Great! I can carry you in my pocket during the daytime!"

His antennae drooped.

"Oh, um, actually-"

"It's okay. I won't squish you. This is great news. Now we can travel faster."

His wings seemed to be made of putty as they collapsed over the sides of her finger. She smiled obliviously and gently ran her other pinky over his back.

"You're so soft."

"Yeah . . . I guess so . . ."

"Not as cute as a butterfly, though."

"No, I imagine not."

She blew him into the air and grinned.

"Don't let anything eat you, okay? I don't want to have to perform the Heimlich on a lizard."

"You kidding? I could kick the crap out of any reptile, radioactive or otherwise."

"Don't get too cocky."

He changed back into a human, then immediately into a wolf. Claire laughed uncontrollably as he knocked her over and started licking her face.

"Ah, stop it!"

"You saying I can't take on a lizard?"

"No! Ahahaha! Stop!"

"Not until you admit that I'm too strong to be eaten."

"Strength doesn't matter if they're quicker than you!"

He jumped off of her and chased his tail.

"Look at how fast I am! You saying I'm not fast?"

"Not compared to a lizard."

He changed back into a human and pulled her close.

"Well, then. I suppose I'll have to figure out how to change into a lizard."

"As someone who's been a big, fat dinosaur, I assure you it's massively overrated."

And they kissed.

They hiked across the country, covering more ground than before, but the subject of their forgotten quarrel remained in the back of Owen's mind. Their argument was one of many, but more troubling than that was the fact that this was their new reality, and as long as nothing changed, such fights would continue to happen over and over again without any hope of resolution.

So Owen made a decision.

It was not a good decision by any stretch of the imagination, as it was both morally wrong and unhelpful in various ways, but he was pushed to make it, nonetheless. Until that moment, they had been pursuing James based on a vague sense that Owen had regarding his whereabouts, most likely caused by vampire telepathy. When Claire asked him where to go next, for the first time in a year or so, he made the conscious and malevolent choice to lie to her. It took her less than a day to figure out what was going on. When they stopped for lunch (Claire's lunch, which in turn would become Owen's lunch, since she was basically his meal), she unfolded her berry napkin methodically and stared down at the ground.

"So this part of the forest looks familiar."

Owen had been building a campfire, but when she spoke, he froze, nearly dropping the stick he had been using. He took an unnecessary breath to calm himself.

"Well, it all looks like trees to me. We're bound to run into the same scenery every now and then."

"Including that notch I made five hours ago?"

Owen's chest clenched up.

"Claire . . ."

"Have you been taking us in circles?"

"I was going to tell you eventually . . ."

Her face pulled into a sneer.

"Unbelievable."

He bit his lip.

"Well, if you suspected something, why didn't you ask me when you made that notch?"

"I never made a notch. I just needed you to come clean."

Owen fidgeted with embarrassment.

"I shouldn't have lied to you, but I had a good reason."

"So did I. But I'm not the one who started it."

"Well, you figured it out. You happy now?"

"No. Tell me why you lied to me."

"Shouldn't it be obvious?"

Claire nodded.

"Fair enough. You hungry?"

"I can't have berries."

"For blood, I mean."

"What, no argument?"

"I don't see any point in fighting. I won't be able to change your mind."

He looked up hopefully.

"Does that mean I've changed yours?"

She took a deep breath.

"I love you, Owen. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"You don't always make the right decisions, but that's why I'm here to help you through the times when you choose wrong."

"You don't always make the right choices either, Claire."

She did not reply, but moved forward and exposed her neck.

"Go ahead, then."

Owen blinked.

"Shouldn't you change first?"

"There's no need. I've made my choice."

Owen frowned.

"What if-"

"I can always change later. It's fine, Owen, just bite me."

For some reason, the idea of biting her as a human made him uneasy, but when he saw the insistence in her eyes, he dared not refuse. When he slipped his fangs into her, he worried that she might be suffering more than when she had scales to protect her, but she didn't flinch or make a sound. He pulled out of her after a minute or so, and she held her head dizzily.

"You okay?"

"I'm definitely a vampire again."

"If it's too much, change into a Stegoceratops and purge it from your system."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. If you can't handle it-"

Suddenly, she covered her eyes and tossed her handkerchief to the ground, scattering berries everywhere. Almost immediately, Owen fell to his hands and knees to count them, despite his attempts to resist the impulse. Claire heard him land and nodded with regret.

"I'm going after James, Owen. I can feel where he is."

"NO!"

She backed away with her hand still covering her eyes.

"It's the only way. You don't have to do anything. Let me kill him, and when we're both free, meet me by that tall mountain we passed. Go to the old campsite and wait for me there."

"CLAIRE!"

"I'm sorry, Owen, but I have to do this. You'll thank me when it's over."

She changed into a bat, keeping her eyes closed until she was sure the berries were out of sight. Owen began to weep as he continued to sort them. He knew he must look ridiculous, but he was so agonized by the loss of Claire that he didn't really give a shit. When all thirty-two berries were counted, Owen sprung to his feet and changed into a bat, flying through the night sky. He could see the world with his voice, shimmering in a silver light whenever he squeaked, but more importantly, he could feel Claire's presence. Her signal was weak compared to James', but no matter who Owen followed, they'd all end up in the same place. He could only pray that he was fast enough to reach her before she got herself into trouble.

Although Owen beat his tiny bat wings as fast as he could possibly manage, Claire's body must have been twice as agile, for she approached James within a matter of hours. Owen knew they had always been close to him- closer than he let on, anyway- but he had never taken the initiative to actually reach James, and he never really thought of it as a feasible possibility until now.

Claire had almost reached her target. Their signals were practically on top of each other, and Owen was in full panic mode. He continued to fly forward, powerless to do anything to help the woman he loved, and for a few minutes, he wondered if maybe they had just decided to talk it out, because they were in the same area, and had been for a while. Then, Claire's signal changed location slightly, as did James', and this cycle repeated for the next few minutes. Owen's heart could not beat, but he was sure it would have been racing if it could. Then, out of nowhere, Claire stopped moving, and a voice echoed in Owen's head.

 _You shouldn't have come after me, Owen. Now, you're going to lose everything._

On top of his echolocation, Owen's vision was filled with a view from James' perspective. He was dragging a half-bat Claire into a clearing.

 _I'm taking her from you, Owen. She's going to be mine._

"No!"

 _Once she's tasted my blood, she'll be under my control. She'll never want to be human again._

"Leave her alone!"

 _This is what happens when you cross me._

Owen began to cry with frustration and panic. His tiny bat-tears speckled the forest below.

"Please, I'll do anything! Just let her go . . ."

 _I don't know what you're so worried about. She always liked me better. Did it not occur to you that maybe she was just using you to get close to me?_

Owen slowed down until he was almost hovering. He heard Claire's voice in his head.

 _He's lying, Owen!_

 _Am I? She went through a great deal to find me, and she deceived you to do it. Maybe she just wanted you out of her life._

Owen continued to sniffle, but it was less desperate and more hopeless. His lip was quivering, and he hoped to god that James couldn't see him. He had a feeling that Claire could detect his emotions.

 _Owen . . ._

"This was a mistake."

 _Owen! He's lying!_

 _I'm not._

 _Yes, he is, Owen. I love you._

"Then why did you leave me?"

A pause.

 _Owen-_

"No. I'm sick of listening to you, Claire. I can't believe I fell for it."

 _Owen, I swear I-_

"Shut up. I hate you. If you wanted to be with James, you could have just said so."

 _But I don't-_

"I'm sick of all these lies. I'm leaving before you can break my heart for good."

 _No!_

"Goodbye, Claire. Don't try to change my mind. I think it's best if we just call it quits so that no one has to look like more of a fool than they already do."

James laughed. He made a point of including Owen in his next message.

 _You don't need that loser, Claire. You know all too well that he lacks the courage to stand up for himself. Why would you ever want that?_

A pause.

 _I'll be more than happy to show you what a real man is like. You'll be one of many consorts, but the first is always special._

Another pause.

 _I don't care what you want, because staying with me is better than spending the rest of your life with someone you don't respect._

And then, Owen's keen bat-ears picked up another sound, one that wasn't just in his head. He could hear Claire screaming in the forest, probably not too far away. Without thinking, he swung around and made a dive, changing into a human and landing on the ground as a wolf. He huffed and panted as he ran through the woods, tracking James by scent and magic.

When he was near enough to hear the spat clearly, Owen growled. He caught sight of James, and gave a furious snarl as he prepared to attack. As he pounced, James also changed into a canine, and they collided in a tangled of teeth and fur. Owen clawed at James' stomach as he pinned him to the ground, but James grabbed him by the jugular and threw him across the clearing. Owen hit a tree trunk and felt his spine snap, and all he could do was whimper.

"You're an idiot, Owen, did you know that?" James snarled as he stalked him, "All this time, you've been hunting me down without a plan, and when you had a chance to escape, you came back. You just don't know when to-"

Suddenly, a big, red bat fluttered against James' face, beating him with leathery wings. Owen took a moment to recover, letting his spine heal, then forced himself to get on his feet. When he was upright, he felt something land on him. Claire twitched on his back, wing crumpled after being flung against the same tree. Owen changed into a human and held her in his palms. She looked up at him with tears in her beady bat-eyes.

"Owen, I love you. James was lying. I know I haven't been good to you, but I swear I'm telling the truth."

He ran his finger over her ears.

"It's okay, Claire. I believe you. I believe you . . ."

They turned their heads as a menacing growl came from the brown wolf prowling towards them. His jaws dripped with blood.

"Too bad you won't live long enough to make this apology worthwhile."

Owen stood up and frowned.

"Two against one, James? I don't think you stand a chance."

Fifteen minutes later, Claire and Owen were tied to a tree that overlooked a wide valley, where the sun was beginning to rise. Owen took a deep breath and sighed.

"So I guess we're pretty much dead, right?"

After a beat, Claire nodded.

"Yep. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to change into something smaller than a wolf."

"I thought it was appropriate, given our banter earlier. Plus 'Komodo dragon' has 'dragon' in the name, so I just assumed that was better than a wolf."

"And then you decided to take a nap."

"It was cold!" he protested, "I thought I'd get a pass by changing into 'creatures of the night', but I guess that's kind of false advertising when you're cold-blooded and dayurinal."

"Diurnal."

"Whatever."

He stared out at the horizon, feeling a creeping sense of mortality, though he was technically immortal at the moment.

"As soon as the sun comes over that ridge, we'll burst into flames," he speculated, "But you can change into a dinosaur partway and save yourself."

"I'd still burst into flames. I'm a redhead, remember?"

"Oh."

Owen watched the first rays of morning cross the sky. His skin was starting to itch. He scooted a little closer to Claire, so that their shoulders were touching.

"I guess now is the time to say our goodbyes."

"Are you sure you can't change into a moth or something?"

"I'm pretty much powerless. He damn near sucked me dry."

"Maybe phrase that differently . . ."

Owen cringed, but shook the thought.

"Listen, Claire, I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened. I was being hard on you for not running away with me, but I know you were trying to give me a better life."

"Boy, did that backfire."

Owen shrugged as much as the ropes would allow.

"Not really. I mean, we're together now, and that's all I ever wanted."

"But we're about to die."

"Like I said, you could try changing partway."

"I think I'd rather die along with you."

After a beat, she lifted her head.

"Owen, I'm going to try and save us."

"How?"

"By changing into a dinosaur. I can block out the sun."

"The ropes are too tight for me to hide behind your body."

"Then chew your way in."

Owen's eyes went wide.

"What?!"

"You know that Star Wars movie where they cut open that giant sheep monster and sleep inside it?"

Owen dry-heaved.

"Claire, oh my god . . ."

"It's not going to be pleasant, but I want to save you, and if you love me, you'll let me do that."

"Can't you just grow and loosen the ropes, then shrink and let us out?"

Claire blinked.

"Oh. That sounds a bit more reasonable."

"Better hurry."

She closed her eyes in concentration. Scales began to spread over her skin.

"Try to make yourself small," she suggested, "I'm about to get really fat, and these ropes could strangle you or cut you in half."

"I literally broke my back a few minutes ago. I can heal no problem."

Claire continued to grow, but after a moment, Owen began to thrash around.

"Wait! Stop!"

Claire lowed in panic.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No, but it wouldn't matter."

"But you can heal-"

"Claire, that's not the point. YOU can't heal. If you change into a Stegoceratops, you won't be a vampire anymore. You could _die_ doing this."

She thought about it, then gave him a sad glance.

"Owen, if this ends up killing me, it won't matter when you cut me open."

"Christ, Claire! Enough with the Tauntaun stuff!"

Tears brimmed in her eyes.

"I can't help it, Owen! I want to save you! I've done nothing but make your life worse, and now I need to make things right!"

"Things are _already_ right. I have _you_ , and even if we're only together for a few more minutes, I'm glad we got to end it together."

He leaned forward for a kiss, but was unable to reach her. He bit his lip and hummed.

"That's kind of a bummer."

He tried again, but gave up quickly.

"Oh, man. I feel dizzy."

"Because of the blood?"

"The lack thereof."

"Yeah, me too."

Owen sighed.

"If James were here right now, I'd kick his ass for biting you."

"We tried that, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Claire sighed and changed back into a full human, sucking in her barely-formed horns.

"Well, I'm still a vampire. I guess I didn't go far enough. The ropes aren't any looser, so I doubt it would help to expand my body and saw myself in half."

The sun was almost up. Claire gazed at the ridge with worry.

"Any more ideas? . . ."

Owen closed his eyes.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Don't think I'm being sarcastic, but . . . Bite me."

"Bite you?"

"Yes. Bite me and suck what little blood I have left. Change into a bat and fly away."

"I can't leave you behind."

"I'll slip out of the ropes."

"You'll never make it. You won't be able to fly or even function on such low fluids."

Claire winced as her skin began to sizzle.

"New plan. I suck your blood, change into a bat, change into a human, change into a Stegoceratops, you suck my blood, I sit on you all day and protect you from the sun."

Owen nodded.

"Okay. Do that."

Claire dipped her head to the side and sprouted fangs.

"I'm sorry about this."

She bit his shoulder. He shuddered and went limp. Claire ignored the blazing sunlight and focused on becoming a bat, and when she was sure she could do it, she removed her fangs from Owen and shrunk rapidly. The ropes dropped limp on the ground, and Owen fell to his knees before landing facedown. Claire changed into a human vampire with panic.

"Owen?!"

The sun was almost fully out. Claire shrieked in pain and changed into a Stegoceratops. During her transformation, she dragged Owen into the shade with her half-formed beak, and sheltered him beneath her body as it grew large enough to conceal his much smaller form. He wasn't responsive. Claire patted his cheek with the back of her foot.

"Owen?! . . . Owen?! . . ."

His head lolled to the side. Claire gasped and waved her tail in front of his mouth.

"Bite me! Come on! BITE ME!"

She forced his jaws open and shoved her tail between his teeth. She wasn't sure if any blood was entering him, but she could feel the prick of his fangs.

"Please, Owen, don't die. Not now . . ."

She waited. There was no sign of life. Owen lay motionless between her legs, paler than ever. Claire began to weep. Her tears glistened in the first direct sunlight of that morning. It was her first day alone, she realized.

"Owen, I should have listened to you," she whimpered, "I'm sorry. I was wrong about _everything_ . . ."

"Well, the Tauntaun idea was pretty stupid."

Claire gasped.

"Owen?!"

He was smiling up at her through her bleeding tail, which she promptly yanked from his mouth.

"I hope you washed that thing before force-feeding me."

She gave a sardonic snort and licked his cheek.

"Owen, if I wasn't so glad to see you alive, I'd be furious right now."

"Furious that I objected to hiding inside your corpse?"

Claire frowned.

"You know what I mean. Anyway, I'm glad you're alive."

"I _am_ alive."

"I know. I just said that."

"No, _really_ alive. I'm not a vampire anymore."

Claire gasped.

"Are you sure? How can you tell?"

He stuck his hand out and let sunlight warm his skin. Claire gawked at him with amazement.

"How is this possible?"

Owen smiled.

"If I had to guess, I'd say that I'm currently filled with Stegoceratops blood, which cancels out the vampire stuff. I estimate my body is around eighty percent Claire-fluid, at least."

She fell back on her haunches.

"So this whole thing could have been fixed right from the start?"

"I guess so, but I'm not gonna cry over spilled milk. What's done is done, and now that we're not in immediate danger, I say it's about time we settled down."

"Yeah. Definitely."

Claire helped him to his feet, then changed into a human. They smiled at each other, then turned to the glowing ridge and watched the sunrise.

"You know, I never thought I'd be so happy to see a morning like this," Owen mused.

"Me neither."

"It's gorgeous."

"Yeah . . ."

They gazed at the sight with warm hearts, but Owen turned away after a few seconds.

"It still kind of hurts my eyes, though."

Claire snorted.

"We're a couple of geniuses, looking into the sun like that."

"Mhm. I say we celebrate our brilliance with garlic bread."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'll do as you say. You seem to be right about a lot of things."

"Like how I shouldn't sleep inside your corpse?"

She sighed and lumbered into the forest.

"Something tells me you're never going to let that go."

And he didn't . . . for a good fifty years, at least.

***TSFEW***

When was Claire ever a vampire? It seemed oddly familiar, yet she had no memory of the event.

***TSFEW***

When Claire entered the next world, she was surprised to find herself not on Isla Nublar or any of the places she'd visited before, but in an air-conditioned office overlooking a massive city. For a moment she wondered what part of the world she was in, but a view of the skyline revealed New York City. She wasn't sure where in the city she was; a few details seemed different.

She saw herself almost immediately—all she had to do was turn around. She was just putting away some paperwork and leaving her desk. Whatever position she held in this company, it must have been important; she had a whole office to herself. Before the immaterial Claire could snoop around and learn more, the physical Claire left her office, drawing her ghostly alternate self along with her.

Claire put on a light jacket and clocked out at the front desk. The secretary nearby looked up for a moment, and Claire recognized Zara's pale skin and jet-black hair.

"Enjoy your vacation, Miss Dearing," Zara said as Claire strolled toward the door.

"Don't work yourself too hard while I'm gone," Claire said with a slight smile. "See you in two weeks."

So Zara was still human, and Claire was still single—and living in New York. Jurassic World clearly hadn't happened in this timeline. Claire walked out of the office building and into a parking garage next door, which was cool, damp, and dimly lit. For all the sleek corporate look of the office she'd just left, it was clear the company didn't invest much in their employee parking.

Claire's car was in the back of the garage, its pristine white paint standing out against the cracked, graffiti-laden concrete and rusted steel. Its lights flashed orange as she unlocked it, the electronic clicking noise echoing through the garage. Everyone else on her level seemed to have gone home. She had stayed an hour later than usual, but clearly her coworkers were eager to get back to their families, their friends . . . their other lives. Claire's work was her life, and it was the only life she needed. Friends were just for validation, and if you could be successful on your own, you didn't need validation. That extra hour of work (especially at the beginning of her vacation!) would probably get her a promotion, while everyone who rushed home to their families would get . . . what, exactly?

She sat down in her car, about to turn it on, when she saw something stuck underneath her windshield wiper. A slip of paper—a parking ticket? Why would she have gotten a parking ticket in the garage owned by the company she managed? She couldn't see any markings on it, though. Nothing to indicate why it was there. She stepped out of her car again, bending over the hood to reach the paper and prying it out from under the wiper. Still nothing. It was just a blank slip of—

Suddenly, Claire was pinned to the car's hood, her face against the slick metal. She couldn't see much, but she could feel a heavy presence behind her, one sweaty hand on the back of her head and the other tightly gripping both of her slim wrists.

"Evenin', pretty lady," a voice drawled. His breath was hot in her ear, and smelled like alcohol and cigarettes. "Now, what's a rich gal like you doin' in a dump like this?"

Claire's voice shook, but she was determined not to show fear. "There are security cameras all over this garage. Security will see this. They'll be here in minutes." She knew this was a lie—the cameras didn't work half the time, and Security only watched them after the fact if an incident was reported—but it might scare him off, if she was lucky.

"Better make it to the point, then," her attacker said, tightening his grip. "Let's see what we got here, eh?" She felt the hand on her head lift, and she tried to stand up. In response he immediately pushed her back down.

"Don't go leavin' so quick," he growled. She felt the hand lift again, but didn't try to stand. She had gained one advantage, though: she was now facing her windshield, and could see, if vaguely, the face of her attacker. A black hat hid most of his head, but she could make out baggy eyes and week-old stubble on a pasty face, and beneath it a jacket too thick for this weather.

She heard the sound of a zipper, and tensed up. Moments later she heard the sound of plastic rustling and realized he was using his free hand to rifle through her purse. If he grabbed her ID card while he was groping around in there, he'd know who she really was, what she was worth.

"Don't go in there, there's . . . there's tampons in there," Claire vainly tried to dissuade him. "You might—you might touch one."

"Nowhere they've been that I ain't been," the man sneered. "Looks like you got some cash on you, all right. But that might not be quite enough."

Claire tensed again. She had known something like this was coming. Her heart was racing, and every self-defense tactic she'd ever learned seemed to have disappeared from her mind. This was the kind of thing that happened on the news, not in your life.

"HEY! GET OFF HER!"

A third voice entered, one Claire didn't recognize. There was a sound of heavy footfalls rumbling in her direction, and her attacker suddenly let her go. She heard her purse hit the ground, and she grabbed it up and held it close to herself before anyone else could touch it.

When she turned around, she was shocked to see a red Stegoceratops facing down with the man who had confronted her. The dinosaur had smacked the man to the ground with one of his horns, but the man had gotten back up quickly, if a little dazed. A knife had appeared in his hand; it wasn't long, but it was sharp. The Stegoceratops swung his tail in a warning—unlike the knife, the spikes on his tail were easily long enough to run a person through, but he didn't seem as intent on using it.

With sudden swiftness, the man dove toward the Stegoceratops knife-first. The dinosaur lowered his head to try and deflect it with a horn, but his bulk was no match for the man's agility. The point of the knife swung around and buried itself deep in the Stegoceratops's left shoulder, then dug its way downward before pulling out, dripping with blood. A vertical gash stained the dinosaur's body, the blood a deeper red than his scales. The Stegoceratops didn't fall, but raised his tail as if to strike. The man, rather than risk impalement, turned tail and sprinted for the ramp to the lower floors.

As soon as Claire's assailant was out of sight, the Stegoceratops collapsed to his side, panting heavily and bleeding from his wound. Claire came back to her senses in an instant. She reopened her purse and dug through looking for any medical supplies, but all she had were bandages, and none were nearly big enough for this. After another moment's panic, she realized she still had her phone. She pulled it out and tried to dial, but her shaking fingers couldn't hit the numbers.

"Come on! I need to make a c-call, dammit!" she stammered.

"Hello, Claire. Can I help you with anything?" the calm voice of her phone chimed.

"YES! I need a goddamn ambulance!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't find any results for 'a goddamn ambulance,'" her phone replied peacefully.

"DIAL 911! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!" Claire screamed.

"Okay. I'll dial 911," her phone said back.

Claire stood up shakily and walked over to the panting Stegoceratops. "Don't worry, I'm making an emergency call," she said, hoping she sounded comforting. "Just—just h-hang in there, you're gonna be okay." The Stegoceratops just groaned.

"911, please state your emergency."

Claire jumped at the sudden sound of the dispatcher's voice. "Y-yes! I'm on the third floor of the parking garage on—on—it's next to the Patel building! There was—I've been assaulted, there—there was a stabbing, I need someone here right now!"

"Can you describe your attacker?" the dispatcher asked.

"He was—pale, he—he was dirty—I need someone here, now!"

"Ma'am, we need a full description of your attacker if we're going to be able to help you. Can you give an accurate description of—"

"I don't have time for that! There's—there's a dinosaur, and—"

"Wait just a moment, ma'am. We'll be there as soon as possible. We'll stay on the line. Are you in a safe location?"

"Right now? Yes, but—"

"Is the injured person in a safe location?"

"He's bleeding out! Can you hurry it up?"

"Is the dinosaur still there?"

"Yes, he's not going anywhere! Hurry, would you?"

"Can you describe this dinosaur?"

"He's a Stegoceratops, red, about—about ten feet long, maybe? Why does it matter?"

"We're just trying to assess the situation, ma'am. Is he currently threatening you?"

"What? No! He's the one who—" The sound of sirens was rapidly approaching. Finally, the ambulance had arrived. "They're here. Thank you." She hung up.

To her surprise, the lights that flickered up the ramp weren't red, but the blue lights of a police vehicle. A cruiser appeared from the floor below and skidded to a halt next to the wounded dinosaur. The door flew open and a heavyset officer with a graying goatee stepped out, followed by two skinnier officers wielding cattle prods.

" _What the hell is this?_ " Claire demanded, running up to the fat officer. He looked like the type to be in charge.

"Is this the dinosaur who assaulted you, ma'am?" the officer asked.

"What—what in the—I—did you people listen _at all?_ " Claire spluttered. "The dinosaur didn't assault me, he chased away my attacker! He's been stabbed, are you blind?"

The fat officer looked confused. His hand had been resting on the hilt of his gun since he stepped out of the cruiser, and it still hadn't moved from there. The skinnier officers looked at one another, prods still in the air.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, did you say the dinosaur _prevented_ the assault?" the fat officer asked.

" _Yes!_ That's what I've been saying this whole time!" Claire shouted. "Why is there not an ambulance here?"

"We, uh, were informed of a stabbing incident involving a dinosaur," the fat officer said. "We can bring him back to the station and wait for an ambulance there—"

"I'll bring him to the hospital myself," Claire declared. She wasn't about to trust these men with the dinosaur's safety. At this point, she wouldn't have trusted them with her own. They'd probably driven right past her attacker on the way up the garage.

"Are you sure, ma'am? We'd gladly watch over him at the station."

"No, I'm very sure. I want to personally ensure that he makes it safely to the hospital, as quickly as possible. I'm sure you gentlemen have other business to attend to."

She tried to push the Stegoceratops toward her car, but his huge weight remained where it was.

"He's heavy as a bull, ma'am," said one of the officers, lowering his cattle prod and switching it off at last. "I can help move him."

"I can do this myself," grunted Claire, still straining against the now barely-conscious dinosaur's weight. "If you want to be helpful, get some gauze for his wound!"

The other skinny officer lowered his cattle prod and walked back to the cruiser, rummaging around in the back. He came out with a roll of field bandage. "This what you need?"

Claire motioned for him to come over, and the officer complied, wrapping the dinosaur's injured shoulder with the bandage. The white fabric quickly turned red, almost blending in with the dinosaur's hide. "Thank you," Claire said, her voice finally lowering. The officer who had helped bandage the dinosaur put an arm under one scaly leg, assisting Claire in moving the dinosaur bit by bit toward her car.

One of the Stegoceratops's eyes opened up a little. "I think . . . I might . . . be able to walk," he said, though his breath was labored.

"Here—get in the back seat," said Claire, guiding him toward the open door. She didn't know if he'd fit in a normal human seat, but he could at least lie across the back. For a moment she thought his plates would prevent him from fitting in, but as she watched, they folded down over his back. He slumped onto the back seats of her car, his tail curling in to rest on the floor.

As Claire got into the front seat, she met eyes with the fat officer for a moment. He still hadn't moved his hand from his gun, even as he got back into the cruiser. Claire turned on her car, and once the police had left, she descended the ramp too.

The Stegoceratops coughed in the back. "You stood up to a cop," he managed to say. "Never seen anyone do that before."

"I can't stand people who can't do their jobs correctly," Claire replied steadily. Truth be told, she'd never spoken to a Stegoceratops before, even though they were the most common dinosaurs. She occasionally saw them on the street, but never stopped to talk. But now she had to keep him talking to know he hadn't passed out. "What's your name?"

"Owen," the Stegoceratops said.

"Well, Owen," she continued, "I owe you. I'm Claire. And you're not dying today. We're going straight to the hospital, and they'll—"

Owen's head suddenly rose up. "Not the hospital," he insisted. "They don't know how to treat us, doctors. More likely to die than get fixed."

Claire had never heard about that before, but when she thought about it for a moment, she realized it made sense. Dinosaurs had only been around for a little over twenty years, and hadn't become integrated into society until more recently than that. Obviously, doctors hadn't been able to learn enough about dinosaurian health yet.

"Then we're going back to my apartment," she decided. "It's close by. I'll get you whatever you need. I owe it to you." He didn't respond; she decided to ask more questions. "Is there anyone I should call about this? Family?"

"Don't have one," he answered morosely. "Mom got stegosaur pox three years ago. Dad died a few months after her; trike worms. That's the trouble with being a hybrid. You can get twice as many diseases."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Is there—do you have a, uh . . . are you married? Is there anyone I can contact?"

His head slumped down. "What's the point of raising a family if the world's never going to want them?"

Claire supposed that if this was his usual attitude, it explained why he was single. But now wasn't the time to point that out. She tried to come up with a new topic of conversation, something that he wouldn't turn depressing, but couldn't think of one. Fortunately, her apartment was just ahead.

"We're here. Come on, we need to get you some fluids."

Owen was just steady enough to get up the stairs, if a little clumsily, and into the elevator to Claire's apartment on the fifth floor. When they got inside, he wobbled for a second and then collapsed again.

At first, Claire couldn't get him to drink anything. He was ready to just pass out and die, but she insisted that he drink. Finally, she managed to get him to down a large glass of orange juice, which she hoped would also help him regain sugar as well. After a few minutes, his breathing steadied, and he looked less pale. It would still be a while before he could go off on his own, but Claire felt relieved that at least he wasn't about to die.

It was already late at night by the time Owen had recovered to the point where he could stand steadily. She didn't want him to walk home at this time of night, not with at least one person out there who had reason to come after him, so she offered to turn her couch into a bed for him.

"What'll your neighbors think?" Owen asked.

"What, about you staying on my couch?"

"They don't know I'm staying on the couch. Humans and dinosaurs don't exactly coexist for many reasons, let alone sleep under the same roof. How many reasons can you think of for a good-looking young human woman to bring a Stegoceratops into her home for the night?"

Claire hadn't considered that. She suddenly felt embarrassed, even though she had no real reason to. There was no way nobody had noticed her bringing Owen into her apartment, and some of her neighbors had a tendency to be nosy.

For a moment, she considered asking where he lived, to see if it was close enough to just bring him back to his own home. But she didn't want to appear inconsiderate.

"It . . . it doesn't matter to me what they think," she lied. "You can stay here. If anyone asks, I'll explain that there's nothing going on between us."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Owen asked as she draped a blanket over the couch.

Claire stopped for a second. "You saved my life," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You went out of your way to help me. It's only fair if I return the favor. I owe it to you."

"You keep saying that," said Owen. "You don't _owe_ me anything. Doing the right thing isn't a favor, it should just be something you do."

Claire was taken by surprise. Most of the people she knew would have rather minded their own business than intervened to help her in a situation like that. "You're so . . . genuine," she said. "I've never met a person who'd go out of their way for me, but you . . ."

"Surprised a Stegoceratops would help a human?" Owen questioned.

"No! That's—that's not what I meant," replied Claire, though internally she admitted to herself that it had surprised her indeed. She'd never thought of herself as the prejudiced type, but she was starting to realize she held more bias than she knew. "It's just that . . . you're a complete stranger, but you helped me anyway. Now I feel like I should know more about you."

"Not much to know," grunted Owen. "I'm just another Stegoceratops off the street, it's nothing you haven't heard before."

"But I want to know," Claire insisted. "I want to hear your story."

For a moment, Owen considered this. Most humans he met were dismissive at best, but here was one who was interested in what he had to say. He decided to take the opportunity.

"Well, I was born here in New York," Owen began. "Both my parents were from San Diego, of course, like all their generation. They were some of the first to be created. Bought by a family by the name Grady, worked plowing cornfields for most of their lives. 'Course, that all changed when my generation was born and we started picking up language from our owners. Turns out our human DNA shows itself more than they expected. Soon enough, we're talking, and whaddya know, looks like we're not just fancy farm equipment anymore. Things had to change."

"The Hybrid Protection Act," Claire remembered. "But that was passed . . . five years ago. You said you were a kid when it happened? But that would make you . . . how old?"

"Biologically speaking, I'm in my early thirties," Owen explained. "InGen sold some kind of growth booster before we got our rights. Used it to make us grow up faster so we could work earlier. I was born seven years ago, but by the time I was two, I'd already hit puberty."

"That's horrible!" Claire was disgusted. "They stole your whole childhood!"

Owen shrugged. "Can't miss it if you never knew it," he said. "After we were freed when I was two or three, my family moved up here to New York. We heard there were whole communities of dinosaurs forming in the city. That was true, but they weren't all they were cracked up to be. No health care, the houses were falling apart, and the only jobs we could get barely paid the bills. Two years after we were freed, my parents got sick, and here I am now, no family, no job . . . no future."

"There's got to be a job for you somewhere," said Claire. "Come on, let's brainstorm. What're your skills?"

Owen sighed. "I don't even have a high school education. Where in this city would hire me?"

"Oh, half the people at Patel never went to college," said Claire. "Hell, my boss dropped out of school after eighth grade, and now he's the head of one of New York's biggest marketing firms. You must have picked up some trade skills along the way."

"I'm a hybrid," said Owen. "We're all designed for a particular purpose. Stegoceratops are for plowing fields, Ankylodocus are for large-scale construction or demolition, Indominus are for military operations . . . we each have a niche and that's where we stay."

"But if you're a hybrid," Claire countered, "you're made from more than one species, shouldn't that give you more than one skill? InGen wasted you by putting you in categories. They focused on what your body can do, but I'm sure if you focus on your mind, you can find something! Fight your label, Owen! This is New York; there's a million opportunities!"

A glimmer of hope entered Owen's eyes, and Claire felt something change inside her too. She realized that she'd always let herself be categorized, just like Owen. All her life she'd been called bossy and overly meticulous, and she'd let it push her into managerial work. Truth be told, even though she was successful, it left her feeling incomplete.

"You know," said Owen, "I've always wondered what it'd be like to be a civil engineer. Build something that people can appreciate, something that'll last."

"Then we're gonna get you a job as a civil engineer!" said Claire. "New York's a huge city, there's bound to be an opening. Tomorrow, first thing, we're buying you some nice clothes and making you a resume. As soon as that's done, we set you up with a job interview!"

Owen was dumbfounded. "Why're you being so nice to me?" he asked.

"Because it's the right thing to do," replied Claire with a smile.

The next day, they set off to get Owen fitted for some new clothes. Claire's neighbors did indeed give her some unusual looks when she left her apartment with a Stegoceratops, but she oddly didn't feel as self-conscious about it as she would normally have. She wouldn't have even brought a boyfriend over if she'd had one for fear of what people might think, but Owen had led her to an epiphany, and that was more important than what her neighbors thought of her.

Owen had no money, but Claire was determined to get him that job, so she covered the cost of fitting and buying the clothes. He insisted that he'd pay her back if he was hired, but she told him to forget about it, that this was no problem for her.

Most clothing stores didn't carry Stegoceratops sizes, so fitting him for clothes was an ordeal that took up most of the day. They crafted him a modest resume during that night, and the following morning Claire drove him to the city's office of civil engineering.

"I'm not sure about this," Owen said, suddenly apprehensive. "What if they don't want me? People don't like dinosaurs."

"Nonsense, people love dinosaurs," Claire replied.

"Sure, until we start talking," contested Owen.

"Owen. This interview is all set up for you," said Claire. "I know the guy you're going to be talking to, I called him and told him about you. Just show your confident face, and tell him why you want this job like you told me." She held his hand for a moment before he straightened up and walked through the doors into the office.

As Claire waited outside, she began to feel nervous. The man she'd talked to was someone she'd worked with before, but now she was having second guesses. She hadn't realized how much bias she herself had held against dinosaurs until Owen made her realize it. What if something went wrong? Would Owen ever trust her again? If he couldn't break out of his stereotypes, could _she?_

"Funny, you don't see many dinosaurs around this part of the city," a woman commented as she passed by.

"Excuse me?" asked Claire, pulled out of her internal monologue by the comment.

"Oh, it's just that they usually keep to their own neighborhood," the woman elaborated. "Odd to see one around these parts."

"Why shouldn't a dinosaur be able to come here?" Claire challenged. "If a dinosaur wants to be a civil engineer, why not?"

"That's more of a . . . well, a human job, isn't it?" the woman said with a shrug. "Don't you need to be, well . . ." She gestured to her head.

Claire was suddenly incensed. "They aren't just _dinosaurs_ , you realize, they're _hybrids_ ," she corrected. "They have human DNA, and they're just as intelligent as we are!"

"Fine, I was just . . . making an observation," the woman said, continuing to walk away. She muttered under her breath as she went.

Claire was still fuming when she realized that Owen had returned, walking out the doors of the office. She abruptly switched from anger to apprehension; he hadn't been in for long. What had happened for him to return so quickly?

"Owen? . . ." she cautiously asked.

He looked at her with astonished, wide eyes. "I got the job!"

Over the next few days, Owen rapidly grew skilled at his new job, and visited Claire more and more often. Soon enough, she was visiting his home as well. The hybrid neighborhood was run-down, but he had already worked out a contract to renovate parts of it. He was facing the possibility of a promotion faster than Claire had ever heard of.

The days turned into weeks, and Claire returned to her own job, but something about it was beginning to feel empty. She'd find herself staring out the window sometimes, looking out and wondering if there were something else she could do to provide for the world. Meanwhile, Owen spent more and more time at his job, rising through the ranks as the month turned over.

Winter came, and Claire saw Owen less than she had during the fall. He was now working late into the night, and was constantly tired. She asked him about this, but he always gave the same reply: he felt like he could really prove himself now if he just stayed a little later. Most times she saw him now, he was staying the night at her apartment. Her neighbors had asked questions by now, and when the old lady next door had asked if they were seeing one another as more than friends, Claire actually didn't know how to answer the question. Humans and hybrids just . . . didn't have relationships. It was something unheard of. But she had to wonder, was that because of the physical difference, or was it just more prejudice?

And then, one night, Owen showed up to her apartment much earlier than usual. He was nursing his arm in a sling, and his red skin was bruised all over his right side.

"Accident with a snowplow," he said when he saw her horrified look. "They sent me home to recover. I've gotta get better quick, though. We're so close to our next big project."

"Owen, you've got to go easier on yourself," she insisted. "I know this job is important to you—it's important to me that you're so happy with it! But you're not getting enough sleep."

"I know, I know, I ought to get more rest," he said. "But . . . I want to prove myself. I got this job with your help, and if I can show that I can do it on my own, it'll be worth so much more."

Claire sighed. "Owen, I need to tell you something. The day you went in for your interview, I got a text from the man you were supposed to talk to. He had a scheduling conflict at the last minute and couldn't be there. Whoever you interviewed with, I don't know him, and I've never talked to him before. You aced that interview without a leg up from anybody. It was all you."

Owen was silent for a few seconds. ". . . You gave me the confidence, though. I'm so close to proving how far I've come. I just . . . I so want to show that."

"Owen . . . who're you trying to prove this to?" Claire asked. "It's not your boss, or anyone at the office. You already know that you can do this yourself, so it's not something you need to prove to yourself either. Is this something you want to do . . . for me?"

Again, he was silent for a few seconds. "I wanna impress you," he said. "All this time you've been supportive; you've wanted to bring out the best in me. I like the way I feel around you, and I just . . . want to give you a reason to feel the same way."

"You don't need to impress me," Claire said quietly. "If you hadn't come into my life, I'd never have realized that I've got more potential than this too. I want to change the world, just like how you've changed mine." She took a deep breath. "I . . . I love you."

Owen's face lit up. "I love you too."

Years passed, and Owen and Claire only grew closer. Claire started going back to college, and became the first person ever to major in hybrid medicine. Owen rose to the top of the department of civil engineers, and he orchestrated reconstructions in many of the run-down parts of the city to make neighborhoods more accommodating for hybrids. While he worked on adapting the city to fit each species, Claire pioneered medical research for one hybrid after another, and thanks to her countless hybrid lives were improved or saved. She passed her techniques on to other up-and-coming doctors, and the health of hybrids across the world soared upward.

When Owen and Claire finally were married, their wedding was attended in equal part by humans and all sorts of hybrids, including some of Owen's Stegoceratops relatives that he was able to get back in contact with. Finally, he had a family again, and Claire had come to realize how much she missed her own family. Her sister and nephews, who she hadn't seen in years, were there in the audience. When Claire tossed the bouquet, she had tried to aim for her sister (who was recently divorced), but misjudged her throw and landed it in the unsuspecting hands of her fifteen-year-old nephew Gray instead, who promptly awkwardly locked eyes with a young dinosaurian bridesmaid. The food was fantastic (Owen's foray out of his traditional employment had inspired some of the other hybrids to become master chefs, and their meals were indeed dinosaur-sized), and they danced to disco music until long after sundown. Humans and dinosaurs mingled with one another, and by the end of the celebration, everyone had gained a new appreciation for the others' cultures.

From New York outward, change spread like ripples in a pond. Once it had started to radiate to the rest of the world, no force could stop it. At the end of their long and happy lives, Claire and Owen saw a beautiful new civilization where humans and dinosaurs worked together to build something greater than what they'd managed alone.

Claire's family and friends would remember her by her last words, which left most of them puzzled. She must have been referring to something obscure that had happened a long time ago, something that everyone but she had forgotten.

"Staying at work an extra hour was the best thing I ever did."

***TSFEW***

"I love you . . ." Claire whispered.

***TSFEW***

Claire entered an untamed world, devoid of civilized culture and modern architecture. There was not a building in sight. The closest thing she could find was a cluster of huts that appeared to be made of animal skin . . . scales, rather. They were held together by bones and tusks. They were crude, even for primitive structures. From one of these shelters emerged Owen, who was dressed in tanned animal skins. He moved in a funny kind of hobble as he wandered out into the field, searching the ground for food. Instead of plants or berries, he found a trail of footprints belonging to some kind of dinosaur. He ran his hand over them, frowning with concentration. They were fresh. He stood up and ran back to his camp to tell the others. His colony wasn't advanced enough to use language, it seemed, but he got their attention by grunting, then led them to the trail. When they identified the prey, they armed themselves with spears. Owen made a grab for the weapons, but the stronger men snatched them up before he could find something suitable. Claire realized that this Owen was rather young, though it was hard to tell through his thick beard and wild hair. He called out to the hunters, but they ignored him. Clearly, he wasn't experienced enough to join them on their hunt. He was about to give up, but one of the older men came back and pulled an ivory knife from his tunic. He handed it to Owen, who stared at the weapon with awe. The man gave a respectful nod, and Owen gleefully followed him as he joined the others.

The afternoon was spent tracking the source of the footprints, which appeared to belong to a lone dinosaur. Gradually, more trails united with the first, and soon, there were dozens. It was an entire herd.

Then, the hunters spotted them. Grazing peacefully in the field were around twenty stegoceratopses, some of which were familiar to Claire. Most notably, a version of herself was standing among them, though she was much younger, probably around sixteen, though Claire had no idea what she'd look like as a dinosaur before the age of thirty. Nonetheless, she could see where this was going.

The hunters ducked low, prowling through the grass like lions. Half broke away to circle the herd from the other side, while the others headed straight in for the kill. When they were all in place, one of the men stood up and gave a shrill cry, startling the poor creatures. They scattered in panic, and the hunters picked their target, which unsurprisingly was the other Claire. They chased her away from the group, pursuing her until she entered a canyon area, where they gained the advantage. She was too clumsy to navigate the uneven terrain, whereas the humans were much thinner and lithe. They caught up to her, piercing her hide with spears as she fled. She howled in pain, calling out for help every now and then, but her herd was too far to hear her pleas. She rounded another corner and found herself facing a dead end. She skidded to a halt, jaw hanging in terror. When she turned back to the humans, they had slowed to a stop. One by one, they threw their remaining spears. She fell to her knees, wailing with fright. She did not try to fight back.

When it was clear that she was incapacitated, Owen stepped forward. Claire caught sight of his knife and began to squirm, making a kind of chirping whimper sound. Owen grabbed her by the horn and held the knife against her throat. Just when the Claire watching them thought this might have an unhappy ending, he hesitated. The Claire lying on the ground was looking up at him, and he had made the mistake of meeting her gaze. As her chest puffed in and out, he remained motionless, still crouched by her neck. He was caught off guard by her pleading eyes, which looked exactly like those of a human.

One of the hunters stepped forward. The man who had given Owen the knife held him back, but he grunted impatiently and stormed towards the wounded dinosaur, pushing the old man aside. He did not make it all the way, because a piercing roar shook the canyon, making everyone freeze. After a pause, Claire leapt to her feet with a frightened moo. She tried desperately to climb the stone wall that blocked her path, but her scrambling was futile. The humans began to fall back, exchanging looks of concern.

Then, from around the corner, another dinosaur appeared. It was large, white, and full of teeth. Both Claires recognized it, and were equally terrified. The Claire native to the current world shrieked, and the humans began to scatter.

The Indominus Rex roared, baring jagged, yellow teeth, and charged forward with extended claws. It snapped at Claire, who swiped at it with her tail, and luckily, she managed to catch him across the jaw. The beast snorted and turned to Owen, who was standing petrified with the knife still in his hand. The old hunter grabbed him by the arm and tried to drag him away. Owen snapped out of his trance just in time to witness his mentor being lifted up in the Indominus' jaws and shaken violently. Many more humans were snatched up after that, but Owen made it out alive. Claire too was safe, though she fled the scene alone, and with a good deal less grief.

Owen was shaken by the loss of his tribe members. He sat alone at the rim of his settlement, holding the ivory knife on his lap. Staring at it with an empty gaze, he turned the weapon over slowly, deep in thought. Obviously, he blamed himself for what had happened, and by the looks of it, the hunters agreed. When they dismantled their huts to prepare for a long trek, Owen was chased to the back of the group. He did not object to this, and trailed behind them the whole way, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

When they left the plains and entered a mountain area, Owen spotted a familiar face. In the valley below his tribe's current path was Claire. She was traveling alone, obviously lost after the failed hunt. Owen turned to alert his fellow humans, but hesitated. No one else had spotted the dinosaur, as they had their eyes fixed on the horizon. This might allow him an opportunity to prove himself, and more importantly, seek revenge.

Owen snuck away from the pack, climbing down a cliff with the knife between his teeth. He began to stalk his prey, ignoring the raindrops that had begun to prick his face. As he drew near, however, Claire began to move in an unsettled manner. Owen thought she might suspect she was being followed, but when he heard an ominous sound echoing through the canyon, he realized that she had predicted something far worse.

Without warning, he was knocked off his feet. After a bit of thrashing around, he realized that there was muddy water everywhere, and that he had been swept up in a flash flood. Quickly, he scrambled to high ground.

The hill he stood on was directly beneath a ledge, and judging by the rising water, it would be best to climb even higher. Owen tried to get a grip, but the rock was too smooth. He was sure to drown.

Without warning, he felt himself being forcefully thrust upwards, and when he landed on the ledge, he peeked over the cliff and saw Claire standing on the hill with her legs pressed against the stone wall. She looked into his eyes, then gave a pleading bellow. Owen was dumbfounded.

As the water rose, she began to toss her head, mooing in short bursts as though she was trying to communicate with Owen. She jumped up and pounded the stone with her feet, screaming. Eventually, the water reached her ankles, and she began to whimper. Owen cocked his head, wondering why she had pushed him up in the first place. It didn't seem like an attempted murder. In fact, it was quite the opposite. She had saved him, he supposed, though he didn't allow himself to believe it was intentional.

Then, on an impulse, he reached forward and grabbed her horn. She scrambled up the rock as he pulled her towards him, and a sudden wave pushed her up onto the ledge. Owen backed away from her rapidly, amazed at his own stupidity, but as he scanned her posture for any sign of hostility, he remarked that she was more preoccupied with the rushing water than with him. She cowered against the rock with wide eyes, throat wobbling as she stared down at the frothing muck. Owen refused to let his guard down, despite this.

As night fell, they remained in the same spot, but when the water level began to recede, Owen leapt off the ledge and swam to a nearby tree. He climbed the trunk and lay cradled in the branches, observing the stegoceratops across the canyon. She was still shaking. He dozed off not knowing what to make of all this.

The next morning, Owen awoke to the sound of grazing. Claire had climbed down from the ledge, and was rummaging through patches of torn-up grass. Owen watched her for a bit, then realized his own stomach was growling. He looked around, and was overjoyed to find that he had chosen a tree that grew edible nuts. He plucked one off a twig and tried to bite into it. The shell was too tough. He searched his immediate surroundings for a rock to smash it open, but realized the only available stones were on the ground, where the stegoceratops could reach him. He frowned and began bashing the nut against the trunk, growing more and more frustrated as time went on. Not even a crack. He chucked the nut to the ground, fed up with the whole thing.

This caught the dinosaur's attention. She looked up at him, then at the nut, and walked towards his discarded breakfast. Owen was furious. When she cracked open the shell with her much larger teeth, however, she did not swallow what lay inside. She simply lay it down on the ground before walking away. Owen stared at the nut longingly. When he was sure that the dinosaur's back was turned, he climbed down the tree and crept towards it, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. When he was close enough, he grabbed the nut and scampered up the tree, pausing to catch his breath on a low branch. The dinosaur turned to look at him over her shoulder, beak full of grass, then dipped her head down once more. Owen devoured his nut in a matter of seconds.

Claire continued to graze until another nut rolled up to her foot. She turned around, looked at Owen, and cracked the shell. Then, she went back to grazing, just like before. Owen snatched up the nut, climbed the tree, and repeated the process.

After the fifth time, Claire grew tired of his games. She marched up to the tree, and he climbed higher fearfully, but instead of attacking him, she pulled down a broken branch and began cracking every nut on it. When she was done, she turned back to her grass clumps. Owen watched her with fascination. He climbed down once more and ate all the nuts except for one, which he carried over to Claire. She turned to look at him, and he set the nut on a boulder, making sure it was visible. He backed away cautiously. Claire moved towards the nut, sniffing it noisily. After careful consideration, she deliberately rolled it towards Owen, who caught it with a confused expression. She looked at him expectantly, and when he ate the nut, she turned away.

He wasn't sure what to make of this, either.

Eventually, they continued their journey (at the same time, by sheer coincidence) and reached a wide valley, where there was much more space to move around. They were headed in the same direction, it seemed, which made things awkward. Owen considered changing direction, but he didn't want to lose the trail of his tribe. Claire too was following a set of tracks, though they were much larger and more visible. Eventually, the two of them were comfortable enough to walk side by side, confident that neither intended to harm the other.

That night, they came to another mountain region. It was dark. Owen could barely see where he was walking, but Claire seemed to know the way. When he tripped, she leaned into him, allowing him to follow her by keeping his hand on her side.

And then they heard a growl.

The Indominus Rex had returned, and was only a few paces behind them. Claire quickly darted into a cave that Owen didn't know was there, and they moved deep enough that the monster wouldn't be able to reach them, given his size. They saw the creature's silhouette pass the slightly-less-dark entrance of the cave, and Claire started shaking. Owen held her in his arms, stroking her snout comfortingly, though he was also afraid. They did not leave the cave for hours.

The next few days, Claire and Owen continued their journey, hopping from cave to cave and occasionally sleeping under the stars. Claire continued to crack nuts for Owen, and he entertained her with his ability to make fire. She seemed afraid of the light at first, but once he showed her that it could be contained, she spent hours staring into it with shining eyes.

Although they grew close during this time, some aspects of their respective cultures remained a sensitive subject. Claire was unhappy with the fact that Owen had chosen to keep his knife, though he used it to peel fruit for her. She kept her distance whenever he pulled it out, and he wondered if he'd ever be able to convince her that he had no intention of using it against a friend. On the other hand, Owen was puzzled by her behavior, especially one night when she gave a long, loud moo at the entrance of their cave. He was terrified that she'd attract the attention of a predator, but when he tried to shut her up, she got agitated, though she never resorted to violence.

She continued to wail until morning. Owen lay on his side with his hands over his ears, eyes bloodshot and baggy, but all of a sudden, she stopped. Owen stood up to see what was the matter, and noticed a blue and brown stegoceratops pushing through the forest. The male gave a throaty call that echoed Claire's, and she began to approach him with a wagging tail. Owen followed her, but the male noticed him and gave a defensive snort. Claire shifted her gaze from one man to the other, then gave an indecisive moo. Owen knew that she was hesitant to leave him after all they'd been through, but the male seemed insistent that she do so. When she tried to walk towards Owen, he roared and cut in front of her, urging her away with his horns. Claire tried to resist, but he pushed her away aggressively. That was the last straw.

Owen leapt forward, knife in hand, and began to slice into the rival stegoceratops. The male barely felt it, but made a point of shoving Owen away with annoyance. He fought back, pounding his fist against the buck furiously before being thrown off his feet. He stood up without missing a beat and attacked again. They bashed and brawled and rolled around in the dirt, and though the stegoceratops was physically impressive, Owen managed to outsmart him with his agility and cunning. It was becoming impossible to hold him off, though. He was just too strong. Owen was thrown against a tree, marking the buck's victory. Claire screamed and ran to help him, but the male roared and blocked her path. Although he was in pain, Owen gnashed his teeth and made a final leap. He drove his knife into the male's eye. With a painful howl, he retreated into the forest.

Owen stood panting in the clearing, bleeding from a gash on his forehead and dripping with sweat. Claire approached him from behind, sticking her snout between his arm and body until he was holding her. She licked his wounds and made a sound he'd never heard before. With half-lidded eyes, she shepherded him back to the cave.

When they were inside, Claire lay on her back and began to roll around, mooing deeply. Owen made his way over to a pile of grass he was using as a bed, but she stood up and pulled him back with her beak. He yanked himself out of her grasp, too exhausted to put up with her games. Before he could lie down, she ran in front of him, giving a long, desperate moo. He looked into her eyes and saw that she was waiting for something. When she realized that he had no idea what she was expecting, she gave a panicked wail and returned to the entrance, where she began to call out to the male, or anyone else nearby. She continued to low for the rest of the day, and as night fell, her voice grew weak, and she realized that it was a wasted effort. She slunk to her corner of the cave with a dragging tail and limp plates. She sat down, and although no tears came from her eyes, Owen could have sworn that she was crying.

He could have left it at that, but he found himself crawling over to her with worry. He watched her lying there, sad and forlorn, then got an idea. He started a fire in the middle of the cave and brought over a burning stick for her to see. He held it in front of her face, but her eyes remained empty as ever. Owen frowned, then grinned when he remembered that he had a bag full of fruit, which he knew she was fond of. When he brought her a fresh bulb, however, she sighed and turned to face the wall. Owen was out of ideas.

Sadly, he slunk to the entrance of the cave and stared up at the moon, wondering what he'd done to upset her. He couldn't fathom why she'd be so miserable when he'd offered her food and entertainment. It must have something to do with the other stegoceratops. She wasn't mad that he'd injured him, or she would have started acting this way earlier. She wasn't worried about him interrupting her mooing, because she'd stopped on her own. She wasn't lonely, because she had Owen, and although he wasn't a dinosaur, he was basically her best friend right now. Better than the male, anyway. It was a good thing he'd chased him off, or he might have-

Oh.

Oh!

Owen turned to Claire, who was still facing the wall. He hobbled over to her, then touched her shoulder tenderly. She rumbled.

Owen nuzzled her cheek, then climbed over her body and began rubbing his nose against her front horn. She blinked. He ran his hand over her frill in slow, wide circles, and this got her attention. When he started to suck on her frill-bumps, she mooed deeply, then wheeled around to face him, wondering if it was some kind of trick. He buried his face in her neck, and she decided that he had finally clued into her request. He climbed on top of her, and they slept in the following morning.

They continued their journey through fall, closer than ever, but although neither of them said it, they sensed a kind of foreboding atmosphere. With every passing hour, they grew closer to their respective groups, and that meant they might be forced to split up. Owen secretly ran through scenarios in which he might be able to integrate Claire into his tribe, and Claire planned ways to introduce him to her herd. Both knew that it was a hopeless dream, but they wanted to believe in it, regardless.

One morning, they came to a ridge that overlooked a vast prairie. Below, a cluster of huts speckled the middle-distance, and a little ways away, a colorful gathering of dinosaurs grazed peacefully. Claire and Owen stared out at the scene, hearts heavy. They turned to each other slowly, wearing the same expression of sorrow, and knew that no matter how hard they tried, they wouldn't be able to explain their circumstances to their separate colonies.

When it seemed like they were about to share their final farewell, a distant roar made them go stiff. A white speck was making its way across the prairie, approaching the two colonies at an alarming speed. Claire and Owen exchanged a look of panic, then began their descent.

By the time they reached the field, it was utter chaos. The stegoceratopses had been scattered by the Indominus' attack, and a significant number were headed straight for Owen's tribe. When they reached the huts, bone splintered and skin tore, and a cloud of dust hovered over the stampeded area. One small dinosaur got caught in a fishing net, and as she struggled to free herself, the Indominus closed in. He prowled forward with an unhinged jaw, and the infant gave a terrified whimper.

Then, Owen sprung from the dust and drove his knife into the predator's side, clinging onto the beast as the child made a break for it. The creature roared and tried to tear him to pieces, but he climbed onto its back and drove the knife through its flesh repeatedly. He was knocked off by the monster's tail, and as he landed, the knife became embedded in the ground a few feet away. A massive foot landed between him and the weapon, and Owen knew that he was done for. Then, Claire sprung into action, giving a valiant moo as she drove her horn into the creature's heel. The Indominus howled, then began to fight his new target. Owen rolled out of the way and stood up, shaky on his legs. He stumbled over to the knife, but was unable to grab it in his double vision. After a bit of fumbling, his fingers grazed the hilt. Claire screamed. He grabbed the knife, heart racing.

The Indominus flung a bloody Claire to the ground, stepping on her belly to pin her down. He lowered his head for a killing bite, but Owen ran by and sliced open the dinosaur's throat. Blood poured from his neck like a waterfall, and after a moment of stunned silence, the Indominus fell over, dead.

Owen crawled over to Claire, who was injured badly. She gave a feeble moo, then leaned into his hand as he extended it. All around them, dinosaurs and humans had begun to circle the dead Indominus, shocked by this strange occurrence. They turned their attention to the two lovers shortly after. Owen draped himself over Claire protectively as the hunters lifted their spears. When they saw his face, they lowered their weapons with confusion.

Then, an old dinosaur walked up to the couple. He bent his head down and sniffed Owen, then gave a short moo. He made his way over to another dinosaur, who carried a fraxinus branch in his beak. The older dinosaur brought the bough to Claire and Owen. He ran it gently over their faces. Owen closed his eyes peacefully.

Then, an old human walked over to the fire pit, where he covered his hands in ash. He extended his fingers and drew markings on Owen's face, then did the same for Claire. The two of them exchanged a look of relief, then stood.

A group of humans led Claire and Owen to their place of healing, passing members of their own kind and dinosaurs alike, and when the couple was out of sight, no one really knew what to do. They looked at each other, wondering if anyone would dare make a hostile move, but the hunters dropped their weapons and began to rebuild their village. It wasn't long before the dinosaurs joined in.

Weeks later, the two colonies were still living on the same land. The children, human and dinosaur, chased each other between huts, much to the annoyance of their mothers, who wove necklaces out of leather and nut shells. The hunters returned from their expedition, bringing fruit and fish, and a fire was built in the middle of the village to celebrate. Claire and Owen watched it all, sitting in front of their white tent, leaning on each other with warm smiles. In weeks to come, they'd migrate back to where it all began, carrying with them a shining egg, which they would nestle in a new invention not unlike a wagon. With the strength of the stegoceratops and the ingenuity of humans, their journey would be made easier, and things would only get better when their children, who shared the best features of each side, would take over, continuing their legacy for generations to come.

***TSFEW***

She hadn't even realized that no one had spoken in the primitive world.

***TSFEW***

The world Claire came to next surprised her. The changes had nothing to do with her own intervention, she was sure, as the very foundation of the universe was beyond anything she could have accomplished in her lifetime. She stood at the edge of a moonlit lake. Two sprawling castles were stationed on each side, silhouettes visible on their separate hills. Claire did not know if she was meant to enter one or the other, but as she pondered which way to turn, her other self emerged from the woods, and from the other direction, Owen appeared as well. They were both stegoceratopses, and judging by the way they approached each other, they had already been introduced. They trotted around the lake's border, meeting in the middle, and rubbed noses. After a few minutes of contact, Claire bent forward and wagged her tail, and Owen chased her into a field, which suddenly became aglow with fireflies. They danced and tumbled and played in the long grass for a few minutes before returning to the side of the lake, where they coupled as any stegoceratops might do. When it was over, they sat in silence, leaning on each other and staring at the moon, which turned the lake silver. After a decent amount of time had passed, they stood simultaneously and marched back to where they had come from. The Claire observing them was unsure which to follow, but her vision suddenly doubled, and she saw both at once. They stumbled back to the two castles, and as the sun rose, they became human. They dusted themselves off in unison and stood up before sneaking back to where they had supposedly been meant to stay. Owen climbed into a holding pen and Claire sat beside a peg in the ground, draping a rope loosely around her neck. They pretended to be asleep for a few minutes before two couples came marching out of each castle, wearing different crowns. Being so far away, Claire could not hear the exchanges that followed, but neither appeared to be pleasant. The couples- Claire assumed they were the parents of herself and Owen, as she recognized her alternate mother- seemed thrilled by something, which put both Claire and Owen off guard. Their lips moved rapidly, faces excited, but the announcement was clearly not what either of the youths wished to hear. Claire rushed into the castle and up to her room, where she began to weep into her pillow, while Owen shouted for a bit before storming into the woods and tearing branches off trees in frustration. After a while, their initial emotions dissipated, evolving into melancholy. Claire sat at the edge of her bed looking quite sick, while Owen leaned against a tree with the same mien.

The next night, they were once again sent to their respective holding areas. Owen was left to his own devices immediately, but Claire's parents stayed nearby. When the two of them were bathed in moonlight, they changed once more. Owen immediately crawled out of his pen through a hole that he had concealed with a loose bush, squirming as he struggled to fit his dinosaur belly through the tight squeeze, and Claire was tied up by her parents once her neck was large enough to allow it. She slipped from her restraints as Owen freed himself, and they ran to the lake frantically, branches whipping their faces as they stumbled through the forest. When they emerged, they paused at the sight of each other, then catching their breaths, thundered to their meeting place and pressed their faces together. They slid down each other's sides, chins resting on their respective backs in an embrace that was more desperate than the night before, and presumably more than any other time they'd met. Neither questioned the other's despair, choosing instead to make the most of this meeting, as if it were their last. They repeated the cycle of the night prior with an almost aggressive dedication, then sat by the lake rubbing snouts and licking each other's necks. They became still after a while, looking at the moon's reflection with that same expression of sickness and dread, both anticipating the arrival of something they did not desire. When they parted, they lumbered away with their heads held low, then turned to look over their shoulders at the same time. Their eyes met, but they turned away suddenly to conceal their tears.

The next evening, there was no moon. Claire and Owen sat in their respective chambers, getting dressed in attire that seemed more formal than their usual garments. Owen's castle was slowly becoming more populated as carriages dropped off people at the door, who looked to be nobles. Claire was dragged out of her room, and the Claire watching her was thrilled to see that the carriage she boarded was headed for the party taking place across the lake. She followed the vehicle, now able to hear something besides the quiet of the lake. She fell behind, lacking the speed of the stallions that pulled the carriage. When she caught up to the other Claire, she was in a grand ballroom, and was seconds away from seeing Owen. Claire's tail wagged happily. When the two met, however, they were not happy to see each other. Their parents introduced them, but their faces remained sullen and forlorn. Claire suddenly realized why. Neither of them knew.

They stood in front of each other awkwardly for a bit without making eye contact. Everyone else in the room moved around them, but they simply let their heads hang low as if they had forgotten to take their antidepressants. Claire was the first to speak.

"So you're Owen."

He didn't answer right away.

"Yeah."

They continued to stand in silence until Claire let out a shallow breath.

"I'm sorry if I'm insufficient."

Owen shook his head.

"It's not that."

Claire rubbed her arm.

"I guess there's nothing we can do about it, anyway."

"No."

"You won't have to see much of me. I'll stay out of the way until we have children. You can raise them however you want."

"I guess."

Claire bit her lip.

"You don't want this either."

He looked up for the first time.

"No, I don't."

"But it has to be this way. I'll never be able to find someone without it being forced."

"Me neither, but my situation is worse than yours."

"I seriously doubt that."

"In any case, we're both trapped."

Owen looked around awkwardly.

"So . . . What interests you?"

Claire suddenly choked and turned away.

"I can't do this!"

She ran out the back door and into a dark garden with Owen following close behind. Her dress caught on a bramble bush, giving him time to catch up. She tore herself away from the ragged branches with frustration, then collapsed on a marble bench, weeping heavily. Owen sat beside her, staring down with pity.

"Don't cry. There's no use. We have no control over this, so we may as well accept it."

She whimpered.

"Would your parents change their minds if I told them I had been with someone else?"

"No. If anything, they'll see it as a good thing, because it ensures that both of us are trapped by our secrets."

Claire did not ask him what his secret was. She cried into her arms while Owen sat calmly, thinking hard.

"Is it true?"

Claire nodded, face pulled in a tight grimace. Owen sighed.

"Me too. She doesn't know."

"Neither does he."

"I don't think I have the strength to tell her. I'll feel like a traitor."

"But it's not our choice."

"That's true. Still, the thought of breaking her heart makes me want to die. Is it wrong to leave her without warning?"

"I'm doing the same thing. He'll know it wasn't my choice. I just hope he doesn't fret over how miserable I'm going to be."

"I'll let you visit him."

"I don't want to be unfaithful."

"Well, I was gonna offer that in exchange for you allowing me to see mine."

"Fair enough."

After a pause, Claire wiped her nose and sat up.

"I shouldn't return. He deserves better. I wish I could see him more, but what would my parents think?"

Owen laughed bitterly.

"Trust me: that's nothing. If you knew the circumstances of _my_ relationship, you wouldn't feel guilty in the slightest."

"Oh, I don't feel guilty. Not for disobeying my parents, at least. I'm more concerned about _him_ , and how I'm doing him a disservice after he's been so good to me."

"He sounds nice."

"He's perfect. I mean, there's nothing wrong with _you_ , but no one else could accept me like _he_ does."

"You're perfectly fine."

"No, I'm not, but I'm content being so, as long as I have him. You're in for a nasty surprise tomorrow night."

"I'd rather put off that part for a few weeks, at least."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Owen closed his eyes.

"We won't be able to . . . I mean, we can't do it at night, if we do it at all."

Claire snorted.

"You don't know the half of it."

"No, I'm serious. Whatever's wrong with you, it's nothing compared to _my_ problem."

"That's not true."

"It is."

"I doubt it."

"You want proof?"

"Yes! Tell me!"

"Only if _you_ tell _me_!"

Claire crossed her arms.

"Fine. But you can't tell my parents I showed you."

"Showed me?"

"It's the only way you'll believe me."

"Fair enough. My problem is similar."

"I don't think so."

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I'm going into the bushes. In a few seconds, I'll come out."

"I'll do the same."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They marched in separate directions, and when they were concealed, they began to change. They seemed uneasy doing so- particularly Claire- but they did not back down. When they were fully dinosaur, they both took a deep breath and emerged. As they caught sight of each other, they froze. It took only a second for them to put the pieces together, and when they had, they each gave an overjoyed trumpet and raced to meet each other. They rubbed noses and pranced in circles and rolled around in the grass. After a moment, however, Claire bit her lower beak and turned to look at the castle. Owen understood her perfectly. Although this had worked out better than either of them could have hoped for, they were still not truly making their own choice. For this reason, Owen smiled and nodded to the forest, and Claire beamed in return, wrapping her tail around his. They made their way into the wilderness, over the mountains on the horizon, to a place where no one would bother them. They never spoke another word in their lives, but they didn't need to.

What they shared was above language, and more importantly, above the rules that they had wisely broken.

***TSFEW***

This was so strange. She seemed to be drifting farther and farther away from the world she knew.

***TSFEW***

Claire found herself in a piano shop. The owner was just closing up. She waited for her other self to enter the building, but as the sun set, not a single person passed by the shop. When it grew dark, however, a simple melody came from one of the pianos. Claire approached it to see if her other self was hidden behind the stand, but there was no one there.

The piano was playing itself.

More pianos joined in, all playing different songs, overlapping in a confused mess of music. Some songs were happy, others sad, and a few seemed to drip with rage. The loudest song was none of these, and came from a reddish grand piano in the center of the room. It took Claire a moment to realize that she was looking at herself. Despite the oddness of this situation, she did not stop to examine this wooden body, for she found she was drawn to a worn, sandy upright in the corner of the store. The keys were chipped, yellowed, and very much out of tune, and to add insult to injury, the piano often played the wrong notes in its pathetic little song. It fumbled and mucked up the simplest of melodies, and Claire could feel a kind of sorrow coming from it.

This was Owen, she knew.

He gave up on playing halfway through the night, and seemed too ashamed to try again.

The next day, a customer decided to test the Claire piano, playing a couple of scales before plunking a beautiful symphony. Her frame echoed grandly as her music filled the room, as well as the hearts in it. The tattered piano in the corner shifted a little, turning towards the red one longingly. Though he had no eyes nor face nor human features of any kind, Claire knew exactly what he was feeling, and her heart ached with the one he did not have. When he turned back, she could have sworn his sigh was audible.

But he was just a piano, and not a very good one, at that. What chance did he stand with a model like Claire's?

Still, he listened to her every night. While the other pianos practiced their songs, he sat in silence, taking in her gentle melodies. Her tune crossed the room and filled his frame to the brim, making his cords vibrate until the sound rattled around in his wooden body and died out unceremoniously. He wished that he could keep her music inside of him, but as soon as he caught her notes, they were ruined by his interference. He was nothing but a piece of junk.

One morning, a man came into the shop to inspect Owen. He tested him like Claire had been tested, only he was a lot rougher and apathetic. He shook his head and turned to the store owner.

"It's not salvageable. At this point, it'd be best just to toss it."

"Can you take it away for me?"

"I'll come back tomorrow. I'll be making a trip to the dump anyway, so it's no trouble."

"Do you want anything for your services?"

"Naw, that's fine. They'll pay me for the lumber."

When the men left to discuss more important things, Owen sank a little. He was being bought alright, but not for the reasons he'd dreamed of. He was so out of tune and useless that they saw him not as a piano, but as a pile of wood. This thought destroyed him, but at the very least, he was being put to good use. That didn't make him feel any better.

Then, he perked up a little. Someone was playing Claire. She sounded beautiful. Her voice lifted his spirits, and for a moment, he was floating. But then he remembered that this would be the last time he'd hear her play. His keys shook with terror and regret, and the color of his wood faded once more. His silence drowned out the noise in the room.

Owen sat still, hunched over and grey.

He sat, and he thought.

He thought very hard.

And he _felt_ something.

Slowly, his middle C key sunk halfway down. Another key joined it. And another.

For the first time in years, Owen felt he had a song worth sharing. He played a little, and then played a little more. He built his tune note by note, practicing the melody until he knew it by heart. No one heard him play, for he did not raise his volume to reveal the song. But he did practice. He practiced like he'd never done before, because until now, he hadn't had a reason.

When night came, the store was silent. The invisible Claire waited in this peaceful setting, seated patiently by her other self. The first piano began to play when the moon appeared from behind the shop across the way, and another joined in. One by one, they started playing, as they always did.

Except Owen.

He sat calmly in his little corner, maintaining the focus he'd been feeding all day. This was the moment he would prove himself. It was his final night, and he intended to make the most of it. He did not have lungs, but he took a deep breath.

Then he played.

His song filled the room, out of tune and dissonant. The smoothness and emotion of each crescendo could not conceal the flaws in his construction, but he did not give up. He played his song, the song he had written for Claire, and was at peace. He hardly thought about what he was doing, because the music flowed out of him almost unconsciously, and for the first time, he felt beautiful.

Then the song ended, and he realized that every other piano in the room had been playing over him, and no one was listening. His keys trembled slightly, then became still. He did not play for the rest of the night.

His grief was so immense that he did not notice he was one of two silent pianos, the other being the reddish Grand on the pedestal. She too was abnormally still, and had been that way since he started playing. Her keys made not a single motion, and she did not rotate on her wheels.

She was thinking.

When the sun rose, Owen was bathed in a warm glow. This might very well be his last morning, but he did not enjoy the beauty of it. He was beyond comfort. The other pianos were asleep, filled with pride after their successful night, but Owen had no reason to celebrate. He felt like a failure.

He was not the only restless piano.

On her pedestal, Claire turned a little. Her front became bathed in sunlight, and she shone like a diamond. When she was facing Owen, she became still. Slowly, her middle C sunk. The note reached Owen. He rose slightly.

When she was sure that she had his attention, Claire played another note. Then another. Hearing this familiar melody, Owen turned with shock. Claire continued to play, echoing his song in her much more sophisticated body, and he marveled at how beautiful it sounded coming from her.

But then the door swung open, and she clenched up, cutting off the melody abruptly. Two movers entered the shop and marched towards Owen, rolling up their sleeves. He trembled.

"Make sure not to hit anything valuable on the way out," the store owner muttered as he tucked his keys away.

The men unfastened Owen's caster locks and began to roll him away with their greasy hands pressed against his frame. On her pedestal, Claire shook with agony. Halfway across the shop, Owen played a final note, hoping that she'd hear it over the noise of his wheels. She did.

And then, something unexpected happened. Claire unlocked herself from the stand and rolled forward chaotically, taking a plunge off the podium. Her keys gave a simultaneous shout as her front legs shattered in the middle, crunching in splintered fractures. Her body warped and her lid slammed down violently, and when her fall was over, not a part of her wasn't broken. The store owner was mortified.

"That was my best piano!"

One of the movers shrugged.

"Not anymore."

After assessing the damage, the men took away Claire's parts, and Owen soon after. They were loaded into the back of a truck, tossed in a careless pile. They sat with each other in silence, and although they were both undeniably broken, it seemed as though they were smiling.

They were disposed of in a junkyard, where humans set them aflame. They were too toxic for lumber, apparently, or perhaps Owen wasn't, but he and Claire were the same kind of junk now. The fire they fed burned through the night, sending up sparks that rose into the sky like dancing stars. By morning, their bodies were ash, and it was impossible to tell which piano each flake came from. They were carried away on the wind, which brought them to the mountains.

On quiet nights, it was possible to hear the faint melody of their song being carried on the wind, traveling farther than any instrument could manage alone.

***TSFEW***

And so it was with the other worlds; Claire would discover her other self, see her relationship with Owen grow, then repeat the process. She saw what her life would have been like with Flower. She saw a world in which Bo survived the Stegoceratops Massacre, living on Badger Ranch as a kind of assistant farmer. "Don't let those chickens peck ya," he said as he leaned over the fence with a long blade of grass hanging out of his mouth.

She visited a world where she was a bear protected in a national park. Owen was a ranger.

She saw Owen sitting beneath a tree: a tree that was Claire. She held him in her branches.

And more.

Many more.

Last of all, she saw a world where they were both human. This door was open, she sensed. But would it come to pass? She could not say.

Then, she moved beyond these worlds, where she heard a voice calling to her. She was getting close to finding out what her true purpose was.


	20. Metamorphosis

Claire followed the voice to a misty forest, which was painted silver and blue, though there was no moon. She lifted her head slightly, sniffing the cool air.

"Hello?"

"Clai-re . . ."

She looked around.

"Flower? . . ."

The young stegoceratops was standing a few feet ahead, looking over her shoulder with a smile. She giggled and ran deeper into the forest.

"Clai-re . . ."

Claire followed her.

"Flower? Flower, what's going on?"

The girl laughed, still playing her game of hide and seek. Claire lost her in a clearing.

"Flower? . . ."

She looked around. The silence of this world was making her nervous. As she began to shrink away in fear, Flower's voice came again.

"Hello, Claire."

She was standing behind her. Claire sighed with relief and nuzzled her snout.

"Oh, Sweetheart, I missed you so much. I never thought I'd see you again . . ."

"I told you we'd be together someday."

Claire hugged her tenderly.

"Of course, baby. Of course. I just wish Owen was here too."

Flower hummed.

"Don't worry. You'll see him soon. I know you've been waiting to be with me, but we have to say goodbye again."

"Goodbye? Why?"

"You have to go back."

Claire batted her eyes.

"But . . . I died."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you're stuck here. You've been chosen, Claire. You're going to return to the world of the living and fulfill your purpose."

"My purpose?"

"You'll see. It's not my job to tell you."

Claire looked around.

"When do I leave?"

"Not yet. Your body is liquified at the moment, so you don't have anything to return to. You will be greeted by the gift-givers, and after that, another will tell you what you must do. I have to go soon. Is there anything else you want to ask me before I leave?"

Claire gulped.

"Flower, I don't think I could put into words how much I love you, even now. I haven't forgotten you. Never. Not even when I had Lily."

"I know. You don't have to worry. I can feel that you love us both."

"I wish you could meet her in person. If I could have the two of you at once . . . well . . ."

Claire frowned gently.

"Flower, is there a way for you to come back with me?"

"Not now. This is your quest, not mine. But there are ways to return. You just don't have the power to bring me back yet."

"When will I gain this ability?"

"I can't say for sure. Some things remain a mystery to us, even when we've seen the other side. But I know you can do it if you try."

Claire put her front foot on Flower's shoulder.

"Then let me make a promise. When I'm ready, I will come back for you. However long it takes, I won't rest until you can be a part of my family again."

"I always have been, but I know what you mean. Anything else?"

"Is Penumbra here?"

Flower twisted her mouth.

"I don't know anyone by that name."

Claire winced.

"She didn't make it . . ."

After a beat, she shook her head.

"Well, if there's a way to bring back people from above, there's a way to bring them back from below. I'll just have to save her too."

Flower smiled.

"That's very brave of you, Claire."

"Maybe. I know it won't be easy, but I've seen it work. I know it's possible if I try. And I'm going to bring back the other stegoceratopses, too. I don't care if I have to ferry them one by one: they will all return safely."

"I hope so," Flower said with a smile, "I have to go now, but know this won't be the last time we see each other. No one is lost forever, thought it may seem that way. Goodbye, Claire, and good luck!"

She ran into the woods, fading away. Claire smiled.

"I'll come back for you, Flower! Don't forget it!"

And then she was on her own again, but never alone. She sat down and waited. Nothing happened immediately, so she lay on her belly and started licking her front foot. She ran it over her face. There was no point in cleaning herself, since whatever she was made of now wasn't her real body, but it felt solid enough, and besides, she had nothing better to do while she was waiting.

It wasn't long before she grew bored. After a bit of experimentation, Claire realized that she could change into a human, though perhaps it was just her mental image doing this. She sighed and dusted herself off as she stood on two feet, pacing idly in the clearing.

"I never thought I'd see you like this again . . ."

Claire turned and saw a raptor standing behind her.

"Blue!"

They leaned forward to hug each other at the same time. When they pulled apart, Blue quirked a brow.

"You're still ugly, though."

Claire laughed and squeezed her paw.

"Good to know we still hate each other."

Blue grinned.

"Absolutely. We'll be rivals to the end of time . . . But not by fighting over Owen. You can have him."

Claire laughed.

"We can share . . . Uh, not like that. Anyway, I'm glad to see you. Are you the one Flower was talking about?"

"I'm one of the gift-givers, yes. But I'm not the only one who's happy to see you again . . ."

A Stegoceratops came lumbering out of the mist. Claire gasped.

"Rock!"

"Good to see you, Claire."

She hugged his neck.

"I'm sorry I got you killed and broke your horn . . . or broke your horn and got you killed. Which came first?"

"The answer is different for both of us. Anyway, don't worry about that. I'm happy up here, and girls dig the horn."

Claire beamed and hugged him again, changing back into a Stegoceratops.

"It's so good to see you. Now we're all together. Blue, Rock . . ."

A third person appeared. Claire covered her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Mom . . ."

The old woman smiled and caressed her daughter as she began to cry.

"Oh, honey. Let's not have any of that, now. Don't be sad."

Claire sobbed and pressed her cheek against her mother's head, holding her tight.

"Mom . . . Mom . . . I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to stay away for so long, and I missed our last Christmas . . ."

Her mother rubbed her shoulder.

"Shhh . . . Shhh . . . It's okay, Claire. Nothing is ever the last of anything. We'll have another Christmas. I know you didn't mean to miss it . . ."

Claire choked. She looked at her mother, blinking away more tears, and coughed.

"I thought I'd never see you again . . ."

"Claire, you know that's not true," she laughed, "I've always been with you, and that's never going to change. Still, it's nice to be with you in person after all these years. You've certainly grown since I last saw you."

Claire laughed and looked herself over.

"I'll bet you never expected to see me like this . . ."

"Well, I was certain you'd do great things, and here you are: a dinosaur, a mother, a wife, a manager, and soon . . . Well, we'll get to that later. You see, Claire, the three of us are here to give you a very special gift. You've earned it on your own, of course, but the people standing before you today shaped the person you became. For example, I raised you to be good."

Rock stepped forward.

"I inspired you to take on my mantle."

Blue held her hand.

"You proved your worth to me even when I doubted you, and in doing so, discovered your own value."

"You're the person you are because of us, and because of yourself," her mother continued, "We admire the woman you've become, and we hope that you can learn to feel the same way."

Claire gulped.

"But I'm not special. I got myself killed trying to apologize for a mistake that could cost my friends their lives."

"Could another do the same? Would anyone dare to give up their own life to right the wrongs of the world?"

Claire batted her eyes.

"Well, I guess . . . I guess if they had any decency, they'd try to make things right."

Her mother smiled.

"You're correct in thinking that, dear. Heroes are not people who accomplish great feats with their power. They're the ones who do what's right when they can, even if their accomplishments are minimal. Only when a person is willing to do good with little reward are they granted the ability to make greater change."

Claire frowned with confusion.

"My back feels funny . . ."

"That's your real back, dear. Your body is forming again. When you return, you'll see what you've become, but before you do, there's one more person you must meet."

Claire bit her lower beak.

"Does that mean you have to go?"

"I will leave soon, yes, but I'll always be with you. You know that."

"I know, but it's so hard . . . I wish we could be this close forever."

"We can be, if you remember me and keep me in your heart. But if that ever doesn't feel like enough, just remember that we'll see each other again. Don't hurry through life, Claire. When you return to this land, we'll have all the time in the world. Until then, there are people who need you."

She pressed her snout into her mother's palm.

"I know, Mom. I just wish I had appreciated you when you were alive."

"Darling, you did. I know you loved me, and still do. I realize we drifted apart near the end, but I never doubted for a second that you loved me, and I loved you in return."

A final tear slid down Claire's cheek.

"I love you."

"And I love you, too. Goodbye, baby girl."

And she was gone. The rest of the forest went with her. Claire found herself in blackness. Eventually, this gave way to yet another scene. She was standing in a marble palace. She turned around, feeling red carpet beneath her feet, and saw a throne behind her. Sitting atop it was Ellie Sattler, though it was not the Ellie Sattler she knew. She was much older, and very calm. Claire took a deep breath.

"Who are you?"

She smiled warmly.

"You know who I am. The better question would be 'which' I am."

"So which are you?"

She stood.

"I am the Ellie that could have been, or perhaps should have been. I've ruled this land for ages, and in this time, the world has been peaceful. Alas, I cannot be, because a single event changed my destiny, and the person I will become is not who you see before you."

Claire blinked.

"I don't understand. How can you be here now?"

"You saw your other selves, correct?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Were they real?"

Claire laughed nervously.

"Well, I was hoping you could answer that for me."

Ellie shook her head.

"Claire, there have been times when you thought about what might have been. These ideas became real to you, as do most stories we tell ourselves. Unfortunately, we can only choose one path, and the doors we pass will never reopen."

"So you don't exist?"

"I cannot exist in the traditional sense, just as you cannot exist as a cow or a vampire or a sentient piano. But you've been granted the opportunity to observe yourself on roads not taken, and you know for certain that the 'what ifs' you ponder would have become these lives. Your possibilities are infinite, yet limited, Claire. You can choose to be anything, but you must choose, and when you do, that is the only path you will be allowed take."

"But what about the things I can't control?"

"You don't exist in a vacuum. Everyone chooses their own path, and when they do, they alter the paths of the people that surround them."

Claire looked down.

"That last world I saw . . . is that going to be my reality?"

"I cannot say. It may be believed by many, but to the few who know your spirit, this life will be the one in which they trust. A truth dismissed is still a truth."

Claire nodded slowly.

"I understand. I'm sorry you'll never get to be a perfect Queen, Ellie."

She laughed musically.

"There's no such thing as a perfect Queen. The best we can do is try for it, and with a bit of luck, we'll manage just fine. But the world as it exists now cannot sustain my rule, for I've fallen to ruin through the manipulation of dark forces which I cannot control. I need your help, Claire. You're the only one who can save me."

Claire's voice broke.

"I don't want to kill you."

Ellie walked forward and put her hand on her shoulder.

"That's entirely up to you, but know that if you cannot find a way to end my reign, you will not enjoy the outcome."

Claire sniffled.

"Is there a way to keep you alive and still save the world?"

"Anything is possible, Claire, but you have to choose wisely."

"I won't kill you, Ellie. I won't."

"Do what you must, and if you cannot find a way to resolve this in a manner that pleases you, don't blame yourself. Remember that my fall from grace was not your fault, and you should never feel guilty for not being able to save me."

"But I will save you, Ellie."

She smiled lightly.

"Well, I have to say, you certainly maintain a lot of spirit, given the circumstances . . . Good luck."

Suddenly, the world vanished, and Claire found herself in darkness. After a beat, she realized that she was suffocating, and when she began to thrash around, she discovered that she was confined in a hot, dark space that squeezed her from all sides. She fought this claustrophobic constriction, grunting with effort. Although it was a struggle, she refused to give up.

And then, a feathered wing burst from the cocoon on Tall Mountain.


	21. Return

The world Owen returned to was one he did not recognize. It was as though he had emerged in a meteor belt, only the meteors appeared to be chunks of earth. Isla Nublar was still somewhat existent, but it was floating in what looked like a purple and red nebula. Clouds circled it without conforming to a single direction or shape, and Mount Sibo was dripping fire into the sky like a literal lava lamp, sending beads of molten fluid into an already confused atmosphere. Owen shifted on Elkay's back, trying to get a sense of his surroundings.

"What's happened?"

"Jurassic World is crumbling. It hasn't been this bad since 2001."

She blinked.

"The year, not the Kubrick movie."

She paused again.

"I wasn't referring to September of 2001. What I'm getting at is that Jurassic Park Three nearly destroyed the-"

"Yeah, I get it. It wasn't funny."

"That's the second time I've brought up nine eleven. It's no wonder I've lost viewers. Of course, that might have something to do with everyone being dead . . ."

"Not everyone."

Owen pointed to the island. A man was sitting alone on what was left of the shore. He looked up at the revenants as they approached, but did not react. Elkay landed softly beside him.

"Alan . . ."

"I don't know what to do anymore."

He nodded to a dark cloud swirling above the island.

"Ellie's up there. I tried to get her attention, but I think she's gone. I couldn't imagine her leaving me like this, but here I am . . ."

Elkay's ears drooped.

"It's not your fault, Alan. You tried."

"But I should have been able to save her. I never thought love wouldn't be enough . . ."

Elkay curled her tail around his waist and squeezed him gently.

"Don't give up just yet. We're going to face her once more."

"Why would it matter now? Why this time?"

"Well, this is our last stand. Maybe it'll work . . ."

But Elkay wasn't convinced by her own words. She set Alan down and closed her eyes.

"Are you coming?"

"No. I want to die knowing it was my fault Ellie became this way."

"But it wasn't."

"I'd rather believe it. If she destroys me, it'll only prove that this was her doing, and I don't want that. I need to hold onto my doubt."

"But it wasn't Ellie's fault either," Owen said quietly, "And even if she kills us now . . . Well, it won't matter either way."

"Or it might . . ." Elkay said hopefully.

Alan turned to the jungle.

"I'm not coming. I'd rather not think about what this means. Why should I even bother, when I'm talking to a dragon?"

His footsteps grew faint, and Elkay's ear twitched.

"Okay, I see what he was getting at, but did you find that a little racist?"

Owen didn't reply. Elkay quirked a brow.

"Speciesist? . . ."

He sighed and got on her back.

"Let's just go."

She took off with a worried frown, but Owen did not react to her expression, though she was clearly fishing for a comment. Whether he was ignoring her passively or actively, his dead gaze was not going to change, so she turned her head to the dark cloud and adjusted her wings. On their way up, they flew past Sarah and Vivian, who had reconnected while they were gone. It was unfortunate that Elkay did not notice them, for this glimmer of hope was a sign of things to come. In her mind, however, she believed that they were nearing the end of everything she knew and loved, and there was no changing the plan of the unseen narrator.

Her faith was restored to some degree, however, when two more dragons joined her in her ascent. Her father and mother stayed behind her on each side, and when she acknowledged their presence, they seemed almost embarrassed. Her father took a deep breath.

"We decided to-"

Neithhotep flicked him with her tail, and he fell silent. Elkay exhaled with relief.

"Well, at least I have this one victory. Before we die, I just wanted to tell you that although I've made many mistakes, none of them led to the destruction of the world. That's on you two."

"Didn't you create the snake that bit Ellie?" Neith grumbled.

"Yeah, but you provoked her once, so . . ."

Owen nodded to the cloud, which they were beginning to penetrate.

"Let's not spend our last moments arguing."

"They're not necessarily our last . . ." Elkay said quietly.

After a beat, she perked her ears with concern.

"Owen, maybe you ought to stay behind. Lily and Charlie-"

"-won't be around if we don't succeed. In all likelihood, we won't."

"Can't hurt to be optimistic . . ."

"Won't help us either. We could convince Ellie to turn good again, or we could fail miserably and be killed. Our attitudes won't change that."

Elkay would have argued this point, but they emerged in the eye of the storm just then. Ellie was in the center of the pocket. She unfolded her wings slightly, hovering without having to beat them.

"You've come back."

Elkay bit her beak.

"Ellie, you know this isn't right. Come back to us."

"No."

There was a long pause.

"Okay, I'm out of ideas," Elkay admitted.

Owen stood up on her back.

"You killed Claire."

Ellie narrowed her eyes.

"She knew what would happen if she crossed me."

"She was your friend . . ." Owen choked.

"I have no friends."

Elkay whimpered.

"Not even me? . . ."

Her father flapped in front of her, holding up his paws.

"Whoah, whoah, whoah. Let's not let this get out of hand. Feelings have been hurt. People died. But it's okay. We just have to apologize."

Elkay batted her eyes.

"Father, I don't think you quite grasp the gravity of this situation."

He snorted.

"What makes you think you have the right to argue with me? For goodness sake, Kr-"

"You're not allowed to use my name."

"Why not?"

"I don't like it."

"Why should I care?"

"Your real name is Horace."

"I prefer Horatius."

"Exactly, so why-"

Elkay shrieked as Owen jumped off of her back. He changed into a Stegoceratops in midair, then flew up to Ellie slowly by buzzing his plates. He gave her a pleading look.

"Why'd you do it? Why'd you kill Claire?"

"Because it needs to be done."

"Wh-"

"The story. It needs to be done. You can't go on without a protagonist."

Elkay batted her eyes.

"Didn't you disappear once and come back with wings?"

Ellie extended her arm and entangled all three dragons in dark magic. Owen flew closer.

"Why did you kill her? . . . Why did you kill her? . . ."

"I told you why."

"She didn't deserve to die."

"Many don't."

Owen was only a few feet away.

"You killed the woman I love."

"And I'd do it again."

"You wouldn't if you were the real Ellie . . ."

"Well, I'm not anymore!"

Owen slowed to a stop.

"Claire died trying to save you. All she wanted was to get her friend back."

He extended his front leg.

"Claire would have wanted me to save you. You murdered my wife, but I love her enough to respect her final wish. Ellie, if you knew how much Claire cared about you, you would regret what you did. You'd feel like a monster. But we'd take you back anyway. Even though you've done something so horrific that we ought to abandon you forever, we'd be willing to forgive you in the name of Claire. I don't know if she can still hear me, but even if she can't, I want to do her this last justice. Don't let the darkness take you, Ellie. Show Claire that she died for a reason. Show her that there's still some good left in you."

After a pause, Ellie sneered.

"Why don't you tell her how wrong you were in person?"

And with that, she shot a bolt of energy into Owen's gut and changed him into a human. He fell towards the base of the cloud-sphere, but all of a sudden, he felt someone grab him under the arms. He stopped falling. When he looked up, he saw Claire smiling down at him, beating a pair of white, feathery wings. His jaw dropped.

"Claire? . . ."

"Well, I'm not the secretary . . ."

Owen was at a loss for words. Claire saw this and flipped him around so that he was cradled against her chest, and kissed him. When they parted, she rubbed her front horn against his cheek.

"I heard you loud and clear. We have a lot to discuss, Owen, but for now, I should have a chat with Ellie."

The winged woman in the void still bore a hateful glare, but it was not enough to conceal her surprise.

"This is impossible! You can only get wings from The Star, and I have The St-"

The glowing relic flicked out of her chest and shot over to Claire's, where it began to glow more brilliantly than before. Ellie's eyes went wide. Claire smirked.

"The funny thing about power is that you'll lose it by doing evil. Sooner or later, the Universe will find a way to even the odds. Good always wins."

Ellie screeched.

"You're wrong!"

Claire swished her tail.

"Need proof? Why don't we put my theory to the test? . . ."


	22. Megaceratops

"Don't fight her, Claire."

Everyone turned to look at Elkay, who was still trapped in a field of energy. She was being genuine, though by all accounts, she should have been relieved that someone was saving her skin.

"Don't fight her," she repeated, "You have The Star now, so you'll win, and I can't watch my Ellie die."

Claire gulped, letting Owen drift to the side in a magical green bubble.

"Elkay, she's not going to listen to reason."

"I know. That's kinda obvious. This story has been nothing but attempts to turn her to the good side, followed by ever-worsening disaster. Still, you can't just kill her. She will always be Ellie."

"I need to be a hero."

"If you were a _real_ hero, you wouldn't kill her."

Claire shook her head.

"I don't want to kill Ellie either, but if it must be done to save the world, that's just what's gonna have to happen. It's not what I want, but my desire is unimportant in the grand plan. For once, I'm going to put the needs of my people before my own, even if it means that I'll have to live with the guilt of my unavoidable and terrible sacrifice."

Horatius squirmed in his confinement.

"I agree with Elkay. Let Ellie destroy the world. You'll live on in a different form."

Elkay nodded.

"Yes, Claire. Once we're gone, you can finally be sen-"

"Wait, we'll die too?" Horatius gasped, "I changed my mind. Claire, smoke the bitch."

"Real classy, father."

Claire turned to Ellie uncertainly.

"I won't have to kill you if you find a way to calm yourself."

Ellie glared at her, still crackling with dark bolts of electricity.

"You may have taken my Star, but I won't let you get off that easy. I'll either defeat you or die trying, so that you will be remembered as the traitor you are once I'm gone."

"Ellie, please! Don't let this hatred consume you. Remember what happened in the years we were apart? You suffered, Ellie. Things only got better when you let us in."

"I refuse."

Claire nodded slowly.

"Then we must fight. I'm sorry. I truly am."

She opened her mouth and let out a burst of energy. It hit Ellie square in the chest, and she was knocked back a couple of feet. Below them, Jurassic Park began to tremble gently.

Claire waited.

Ellie made a lunge for her, and was hit by two more blasts. As she reeled, the chaos that surrounded them began to shatter, revealing pieces of the lost world. Claire took a deep breath.

"Will you surrender?"

"No."

Ellie formed a ball of darkness between her hands and threw it in Claire's direction, but another bright blast from her mouth caused it to dissolve before hitting its target. When Ellie flew forward, Claire knocked her back yet again. The world continued to heal, and it became obvious that Claire and Ellie were significantly mismatched. This battle could go on all day. Claire was too hopeful to kill Ellie in one fell swoop, though she certainly possessed this ability. It was just a matter of time before she realized the futility of her actions.

Then, the battle was put on hold when a third party appeared. A giant bull emerged from the sea, swinging his tail back and forth calmly as gallons of seawater dripped from his hide. He stood between the two opponents, and though he was looking up at them from miles below, there was a suspicious confidence in his almost-smirk.

"Good afternoon, my Queens."

He turned to Claire.

". . . Or perhaps 'Queen' singular."

Ellie gnashed her teeth.

"What do you want?"

He polished his hoof on his chest casually.

"Nothing much. I was wondering if perhaps you might allow me to set up additional incentives in this battle for dominance."

Claire frowned.

"What's your game, bull? You know Ellie can't win without The Star."

"I'm aware. What I had in mind would complicate matters, perhaps giving the feud some weight. Suppose I were to give you two the chance to release someone from my realm, sending them to Elliesium- which perhaps you will have to rename soon- and absolving them of their crimes fully."

Claire decided to take the bait, though she suspected there was deception involved.

"Would you release Penumbra?"

"Of course . . . if _Ellie_ wins. If _you_ win, I will release June. See, what complicates the situation is that whomever wins will not free the person they wish to help the most, giving them an incentive to lose . . . perhaps Claire more so than Ellie, as she still retains her morals in her valorous state."

Claire closed her eyes.

"That's not enough to sway me."

He shrugged.

"Alright, then. If Claire kills Ellie, I'll release June. If Ellie kills Claire, I'll release June _and_ Penumbra . . . and Flower."

Claire gulped, wings folding inwards a little as she pumped them steadily.

"You . . . You still can't win me over with your promises. Ellie wishes to destroy the world, so even if I free someone, it won't matter in the end."

He chuckled.

"True, you'll be dooming countless people, but they are faceless humans, unlike the poor dinosaurs who died because of your actions. This applies to all three of them, I might add. What a noble Queen we've elected in place of the _last_ murderer . . ."

Claire hovered in the air. The only sound came from her wings and Ellie's, which moved at different speeds. It was not a tense atmosphere, per se, but there was weight to the possible outcomes nonetheless. Surprisingly, Owen was the first to speak up. He pressed his palms against the green bubble, leaning forward and drifting towards his wife.

"Claire? . . ."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Do what's right," he said firmly.

She closed her eyes and began to glow. The Star sunk into her body, making a white marking on her chest where its arms met her scales. The bumps on her frill lengthened, as did her neck, tail, and arms, and her snout as well. Her thagomizer became wrapped in a kind of reddish club, which sprouted a spike at the tip and two more at the base, in addition to her usual four. Her three horns lengthened and became tipped with black, and her front feet reshaped so that she had four fingers and a thumb on each hand. When she opened her eyes, they glowed with the whitest light imaginable, which spread across her scales in intricate spirals. She pulsed with this energy, and something within her began to hum. As she opened her mouth, the light from inside her throat consumed the entire world, and nobody saw what happened next.

Everything was bright and silent.


	23. Made Of Stone

When the world became visible again, everyone present for the sky battle was standing on the soil of Isla Nublar, which seemed more colorful than usual. Birds chirped in the distance, and the sun's light bathed the island in a golden-yellow aura, which made the already warm climate seem even more so aesthetically. The three dragons, the Bull, and Owen looked around in confusion, wondering what exactly had transpired when the world went white. Claire, now in her regular form, stood calmly among them with her wings spread, facing a pinkish-beige statue. It didn't take long for Elkay to realize who this hunk of rock resembled. She wailed and collapsed in front of the sculpture, writhing around in misery.

"Ellie! Ellie!"

She turned to Claire.

"What have you _done_ to her?!"

The new Queen took a deep breath.

"I stopped her. She'll stay this way for a thousand years. When she comes back, she will return to her normal self. The dark parasite inside her soul was purged during the attack. It has been sent to the Beneath, where it will stay for a very long time."

She turned to the Bull.

"Speaking of which, we made a deal . . ."

The copper bovine stamped his hoof, making his massive muscles ripple.

"She's not dead. The deal was that I'd release June if she died, and she's simply _not dead_."

Elkay whimpered.

"She may as well be . . ."

Paying no attention to the dragon, Claire lifted her chin and faced the bull. Though she was much smaller than him, it was obvious she was in control.

"I expected as much from a criminal like you. You can bend the rules all you want, but I'm coming for my friends. I'm going to save Penumbra and June, and I'm going to bring Flower back from where she currently resides. I don't have to play your games. I'll have no trouble getting what I want without your help."

The bull snorted.

"You're a reckless Queen, but I'm well aware that I stand no chance against you in direct combat. You're in no position to be threatening me or my heavenly counterpart, nonetheless. These things must be done delicately, or there's no point to any of it. I ask that you wait a few decades to carry out this mission, as I will need time to prepare myself by setting our conditions and training my allies to stop you. In return, I will make the generous offer of honoring our previous deal. However, since Ellie is in fact _not dead_ , you will only get June for one third of the year. The other two thirds will be equally distributed between Elliesium and the Beneath. Are we agreed?"

Claire frowned.

"Why should I trust you? What's to say you won't go back on your promise?"

The Bull gave a deep chuckle.

"I may bend the rules of our game, but to break them entirely would reflect poorly on my reputation. The key to cheating others is to make them believe that they have a chance of cheating you in return. If I exploit you directly, I'll lose my customers. I'd prefer to keep my options open by luring gullible victims into my domain at a steady rate. That, and you won't be allowed to stop me when my prey approaches me willingly, according to Asterparan law. As long as my manipulation lies in the fine print, you won't be fit to attack me without causing a political uproar. What's the point of being a barbarian when the odds are stacked against me? If I play this right, our power will be matched."

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"You're a prick. Regardless, I accept your terms. It's only fair. Not that you're too concerned with fairness."

The Bull smirked and turned away, stepping through a newly-formed portal that led to his realm.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Madame Dearing. I look forward to working against you."

And with a swish of his tail, he was gone. Claire turned to Elkay, who was draped over the Ellie statue. Tears quivered in her eyes as she ran her paw over the stone.

"She will return to us, Elkay," Claire assured her gently, "Regardless, I'm sorry this had to happen. It was not easy for me to make this decision, but it's better than the alternative. I'm sure we'll get by. You've been alive for trillions of years, haven't you? I'm sure you can wait a thousand more to see her again."

The dragon sniffled.

"I'll stay by her side until then. I won't leave her for a single moment."

Claire gave a slow nod, then turned to Elkay's parents. They seemed nervous, and rightly so.

"Neither of you have been particularly helpful, but as long as you promise never to interfere with our affairs again, you may stay on the island."

Horatius nodded.

"I won't betray you again. I've forgotten most of the information regarding your mystery narrator, anyway. I can recall details every now and then, but I think he's enchanted me so that I can't tell you anything helpful."

Claire sighed.

"That's unfortunate. In any case, there's nothing to be done about it. The narrator is not powerful enough to defeat me now that I'm the new Queen, so at the very least, we're safe. He wouldn't dare touch the world after seeing what I can do."

Owen's knees were knocking.

"I don't think anyone would . . ."

Claire shrugged.

"There are bound to be villains and foes in our future, but we'll deal with them as they come. Right now, our world has been restored, our enemies vanquished, and our friends and family have been brought back safe and sound."

Owen perked up.

"They have?"

"Yes. I was able to set everything back to the way it was before the disaster. All that's changed is the person in charge, so we'll see how that goes . . . Lord help us all."

Neithhotep stepped forward, tail spiraling behind her elegantly.

"At the beginning of this journey, I would have preferred to end up as Queen myself, but it seems to me- and don't ever repeat this- that you will do a fine job: better than anyone else living or dead. I look forward to your reign. Bear in mind I said the same thing about Ellie, so don't let me jinx it."

Claire smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Neith. I sense good things in your future as well . . . if you behave."

"I will."

Claire swished her tail grandly and turned to face the Visitors' Center.

"Well, I suppose it's been one hell of a day, and I'll probably be answering a lot of questions and whatnot. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the auditorium. Owen."

He followed her as she trotted through the lush grass, apparently not all too eager to get a lot of mileage out of her new appendages. Horatius and Neithhotep flew in separate directions shortly after, clearly not in the mood for relationship-building. True to her word, Elkay sat beside a motionless Ellie, curling her tail around the base of the statue lovingly. After a moment, she looked around to make sure she was alone and summoned the specter of a girl, who stood in front of her with a vacant expression. Elkay leaned close and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Listen, I know you're not real. That much is canon. I'm sure of it now. As unreal as you are, however, I can _make_ you real by making you fictional, you feel me?"

The girl cocked her head. Elkay continued.

"I'm sure you saw the worlds Claire visited. Not all of them were narrated. I think you know what to do. I'll give you space."

The girl nodded. Elkay smiled.

"Go now. Turn your eyes to the stars, Moonwatcher, Narrator, Mist of the Unreal Fountain. It's up to you now. Don't fail me. Prove we both have worth."

The girl bowed and ran away, pulling an iPad from behind her back. Elkay's ear twitched.

"I probably should have given her a better model . . ."

Then, a manuscript appeared in front of her, tied up with a brown string. Elkay flipped through it, noticing that two chapters were left blank. She smiled and created a pen from thin air.

"I know I shouldn't be thanking you, narrator, since you nearly destroyed our world, but I'm glad you decided to end this like a gentleman. Any title preference?"

An empty cover dropped on her head. She grimaced and picked it up, rubbing the space between her horns.

"A Time Of Two Queens . . ."

She looked up.

"Yeah, that'll do."


	24. The Monarch Queen

When Claire entered her guest room in the Visitor's Center, the moon was shining through the window, casting blue light on Owen, who was having trouble falling asleep. Claire yawned and shook a few loose feathers from her wings before jumping on the bed. She waited for Owen to crawl up onto her belly, but he rolled off of the mattress and watched her lying on her back with a blank expression. She stared at him, wondering why he had chosen to break their usual routine.

". . . aren't you coming?"

"Claire, you came back from the dead."

"I know. I'm not a zombie or anything . . ."

He gulped.

"I wasn't saying that . . . I'm just a little surprised."

"Oh. Well, I guess I can see why, but I promise I haven't changed. We can go back to the way things were."

Owen nodded.

"I checked on everyone. They're all back safe and sound. Have you had a chance to speak with them?"

"Just Vivian. I gave her her old job back. Now that I'm Queen of the Universe, I'll have to figure out where everyone fits in management. Don't tell anyone, but I'm kinda nervous about it. I've never run something on this scale before. It's quite a jump. I guess Ellie was a paleobotanist when she first started out, and somehow she became God with only a position as Chieftain of the raptors between the two-"

She noticed the look on his face and cocked her head.

"What's wrong? . . ."

He rubbed his arm.

"I don't know. Things are changing. I guess I just got used to the way things were. What if . . . What if we . . ."

Claire blinked, waiting for him to finish. He sighed and sat on a chair by the bed.

". . . I don't know. I guess I'm just worried that since you're Queen, you won't need . . . I mean, you won't _want_ . . ."

Claire gave a sad smile.

"Owen, I'm still the same person. I just have wings and a new job, that's all. Neither of those things will stop me from loving you. Trust me, it's borderline impossible for us to not be in love, statistically speaking. I've seen proof of it with my own eyes."

He looked down.

"Are you sure?"

She smiled and curled her tail around his waist, pulling him onto her belly.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Owen, we've been married for almost two decades. We have two beautiful children and plenty of friends. We have a home, and I'm not just talking about our house. I didn't come back to be a Queen. I came back for _you_. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me- Well, second best, next to Lily. I love you."

She dragged her tongue up his cheek. He smiled.

"Please don't die again."

"I don't intend to."

As she began to curl her wings over him, he hunched his back suddenly and looked up at the feathery limbs with fear in his eyes. Claire paused.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's just . . . I'm not sure I should touch them. I don't know if I'm allowed . . ."

She gave a snorting laugh.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

He swallowed.

"Well, they're so beautiful and white, and I'm . . . Well, I'm just me. I don't wanna ruin them or something-"

He gasped as she wrapped both wings around him and squeezed his body tight.

"Owen, they're a part of me. They're no different from my tail or my horns. You like to touch _those_ , right? . . ."

She held her right wing in front of him, moving the bend closer to his face. Slowly, he reached out with a shaking hand, preparing to touch it. She poked him suddenly.

"Boo."

He frowned, then reached out again, and when she didn't explode on contact, he realized that he quite enjoyed the texture of her plumage. He ran his hand over her wing, combing her fluff and running his fingers down the longest feathers. She smiled and placed her other wing under his chin. He bent forward and clamped it between his teeth suddenly. Claire winced, then smiled.

"I take it you like them?"

"I could get used to them . . ." he muttered through a mouthful of feathers.

Claire smiled and held his cheeks between her wings.

"Owen, you don't ever have to worry about us. No matter what I am, I will always love you, because you are you and I am me, even when I suddenly sprout new appendages and have my organs replaced with magic relics."

Owen's eyes went wide.

"So The Star is in you right now?"

She nodded.

"It's my new heart. But it still belongs to you."

He smiled and kissed her. She ran her tail down his spine, but pulled away before they could go too far.

"Hang on. There's something I need to do. It will only take fifteen minutes, maybe less."

Owen quirked a brow.

"Sounds good, but don't keep me waiting. I'd love to give those wings of yours a try . . ."

She licked his chin coyly, then closed her eyes and moved to a world of gold and pink clouds. She floated through the fluff until she found Ellie, who still had her own wings, just as her statue did. Claire wondered if her blood was still made of light, or if that was taken away with The Star.

"Hey."

Ellie turned as she approached, obviously surprised. She fiddled with her sleeves, not knowing how to face the woman she'd slaughtered only a few hours prior.

"Hi."

Claire slowed to a stop.

"I don't have long. I made it so you'll be sleeping in a few minutes. You won't wake up for a very long time."

"I know."

Claire bit her beak.

"Alan asked about you. He told me to give you a message, since I won't be able to come back after this. He says he loves you, and nothing you've done will change that. Is there something you want to tell him?"

"Many things. And I have questions, too, but I guess I can't ask them, since this is a one way trip."

A pause.

"He'll be dead by the time I wake up, won't he?"

Claire sniffled, then burst into tears.

"Ellie, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! I wasn't thinking, and- and-"

"It was the only way. It's not your fault. I would have done the same."

Claire wiped her nose.

"Ellie, I promise, I'll do everything I can to keep Alan alive for you. I have magic-"

"No, don't do that. You can't show favoritism when you're a Queen. Trust me, it never ends well. Before you know it, everyone I've ever loved will be asking you to extend their time on Earth. They'll tell you that I'll be disappointed if I never get to see them again. It's true that I'll miss them, but I don't want to keep them around for my sake. Life is meant to be lived. There's no sense in dragging them through a pointless existence. It's best if they think of me as dead. People die suddenly all the time. Most don't get the luxury of a goodbye."

Claire nodded.

"But they won't _all_ be gone. Elkay says she'll wait beside your statue until you wake up."

Ellie laughed.

"That's just like her. I imagine she intends to stick to her plan, but don't be afraid to encourage her to leave. I don't imagine she'll enjoy such a boring task. I won't hold it against her if she takes a break."

"Right. I'll be sure to tell her that. Anything else?"

Ellie smiled sadly.

"I have one last message."

"For who? Charlie?"

"No, not for Charlie. For you."

Claire batted her eyelashes.

"Me?"

"Yes. My friends and family know that I loved them. They're aware I wasn't in a good state of mind when I . . . when I turned. If anyone deserves an explanation for what happened, it's you."

"I already know why-"

Ellie held up her hands.

"I know, Claire. I know you know why, but you deserve an apology and an explanation. I haven't always been honest with you, and I'm seeing more and more that I underestimated your ability to take in such heavy knowledge."

"I haven't exactly flourished in this environment."

Ellie smiled and shook her head.

"You've done exceptionally well. I mean that. When I first met you- Well, one of the first times I met you- I thought you were a vain idiot who would never amount to anything without my help. I didn't realize that it was me holding you back all along. I had no right to toy with you like that. You were far more than a pawn, and it was wrong of me to treat you like one."

Tears trickled down Claire's cheeks.

"Ellie, you don't have to-"

"I'm not finished."

Claire sniffed.

"Okay, go on."

"I was too hard on you, not just in the beginning, but recently. I was so frustrated with my own inadequacy that I took it out on you, but you should know that even when you made mistakes, nothing that happened was your fault."

"Well, I wouldn't say-"

"Shhh. Just listen."

"Okay."

Ellie put her hand on Claire's shoulder.

"I know you're worried about what's coming next, but I was just as terrified when I became Queen. The important thing is to trust in your abilities, and remember that you are a symbol of hope for your people. If you have faith in yourself, others will too, and that will be enough to keep the world in a good place, understand?"

Claire nodded.

"I understand."

"Good. There's so much I want to tell you, but in the end, all the little scraps of advice I could offer are things you'll learn on your own, and I have no doubt that you'll do a better job than me."

"You're-"

"Don't tell me that I'm being too kind. I'm just being honest. Don't let the things people say get to you. You're not a cow, you're not an animal, and you're not too old to be of value. I'm fortunate to have such a responsible woman as my successor. The world is safe in your hands . . . so to speak."

Claire sobbed and wrapped Ellie in a tight hug.

"I'm going to miss you!"

"Me too, me too. I hope we see each other again someday. If we don't, I want you to know that I was lucky to have you as a friend."

Claire shook uncontrollably as tears dripped down from her scales, making dents in the clouds. Ellie squeezed her comfortingly.

"I love you, Claire. Now go show them how a hybrid can kick ass."

Claire smiled, but when she opened her eyes, she realized that Ellie and the world around her had disappeared. With a deep sigh, she returned to her room, where Owen was waiting. He perked up when she appeared on the covers.

"You're back!"

"I am."

He noticed that she was crying.

"Claire . . . Are you okay?"

"I will be."

He blinked, then twiddled his fingers evasively.

"So . . . Not in the mood?"

She chuckled.

"Maybe in a few minutes. I shouldn't break my promises, now that I'm a Queen and God."

Owen shrugged.

"Well, if your heart's not in it-"

She leapt up on the bed and nudged his shoulder with her snout.

"My dear, that would be utterly impossible, and that's coming from a winged dinosaur."

He grinned.

"Fair point. I guess we can classify you as one of those feathery dinosaurs now, right?"

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Only half, Owen. Only half."


	25. Two Worlds Made One

Although there were certain disadvantages to having wings, such as getting stuck in doorways more frequently than usual (though admittedly it happened a lot to begin with), Claire was pleased by the enhanced regality of her figure, and nothing made her prouder than stepping into a room and spreading her wings as Owen marched by her side, beaming proudly as whispers of awe traversed a crowd in their wake. It was at times like these that Claire felt ten times taller than she was, and at least fifty times as beautiful.

And so she gave her signature wing-flourish as she entered the Nublar auditorium, which was filled with her friends and family, just as it had been before the incident. She passed Vic, Zara, Vivian, Sarah, Karen, Lowery, and many others. Owen, Lily, and Charlie were in the front row. Claire sent a wink and a smile their way, and they beamed in reply.

As she stepped up on the stage to address the Nublarians, Claire felt her heart quiver. Although she had grown a pair of wings and absorbed magic beyond the levels of even the most skilled sorcerers, she did not feel like anyone but herself, and she was not immune to stage fright. When she gazed out at the amazed faces of her peers, however, her heart stopped trembling, and she realized that these were the people who loved her, and whom she loved in return. She had no reason to fear their judgment. Hell, she was standing before them as a fat, green hybrid dinosaur, so she was pretty sure a little flub in her speech wouldn't catch their attention.

As the crowd fell silent, Claire took a deep breath and began her announcement, placing her foot over the script to pin it in place, though there was no trace of a warm wind to stir the papers.

"Hello again. I know this announcement didn't exactly go as planned the last time I was up here, but I promise, that's all over now."

There was no visible reaction from the crowd, but Claire knew that they were tense all the same. They must be wondering if she was going to address what had happened to their former leader, or if she'd keep quiet to honor Ellie's memory. Truly be told, she wasn't a fan of either option. This issue required prudence, planning . . .

"In a way, it pains me to address you in this setting, because I had originally planned to do it with Ellie. She should have been here. I miss her more than I can say."

Claire realized that she had neglected to follow her own notes, which made no mention of Ellie. Deciding she wouldn't be able to get back on track, she slid them to the side.

"But that's how life is. You can plan it out all you want, but until you accept the fact that change will happen, you can never truly be happy. I thought I could live my life according to a precise plan, beat for beat what I wanted it to be ever since I was a little girl. But that's not living. You can't force yourself to stay on one path and expect everything to fall into place. You have no way of knowing who you'll fall in love with, what will be taken away from you, where your path with lead . . . but that's the way it _should_ be. The greatest moments of my life were the ones I didn't plan. And despite everything I've lost, I'm happy, because losing those things led me to this point, and I'm . . ."

She gulped. After a moment, her tail relaxed, resting on the ground behind her.

"I was lucky to know Ellie. It's not often you get to meet the one who started it all, the person to whom you owe your entire existence. But that's not what I remember about her. When I think of Ellie, I don't think of the times she defeated demons or fought in revolutions or did even the simplest of good deeds for the sake of others. I think of the moments we were together, not doing anything of consequence, just enjoying those hours in between the stuff you read about in books. I remember Ellie the person, not Ellie the Queen. At first, I didn't know how I'd go on without her . . . how _any_ of us would go on without her, but although she was important to all of us in a great deal of ways, she was a person like any other. She was not our protagonist because she was inherently special. She chose to be a hero. Every single one of us has the potential for greatness, in fact. We just have to look inside ourselves and decide whether or not we will choose to stand up and become the best person we can be. When we think of our idols, we elevate them above humanity, but they're just people like us. It's scary, I know, to think that your Queen has flaws and doubts and a soul like your own, but that's what makes life so wonderful. _You_ can be a Queen, a King, a Lord, a God. You can be _anything_. Whether you know it or not, that power is inside of you, and someday, you'll see the greatness that was always there, waiting to be set free."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Change is hard. It's only when you come out the other side that you realize how important it is. And then you get used to the way things are, and the next change catches you off guard all over again. We fear the unknown, because a stable present is more comforting than our billions of potential futures, but we can't let the fear of extinction stop us from evolving. I don't know what the world will look like when I've taken on Ellie's mantle, and I don't know what the future holds for us now that we have begun to integrate with Jurassic World, as I'm sure most of you have heard by now. I don't know these things, but that's why I want to find out. Jurassic World and Jurassic Park are different in many ways, but they are also the same. Each is filled with people who have hopes and dreams, stories that will inspire generations to come, and more than a little silliness from all ends. I did not expect to be a Stegoceratops, nor did I ever envision myself being happy this way, but I am happy all the same. I didn't know what I wanted until it was given to me. Even though you may be afraid of the changes coming your way, or maybe even repulsed by them when they happen, I urge you not to judge these changes because you want things to stay the same for all eternity. Not all change is good, but more often than not, it is necessary for growth. We can always look on the past fondly, but it is the future that excites us, because it's new and mysterious and different from anything we've encountered. Together, we can reach that future, but only if we promise to give each other room to breathe. Don't try to be Ellie Sattler. Don't try to be Claire Dearing. Don't try to be Steven Spielberg. They are themselves, and you are you, and in order to be yourself, you must go beyond what they have done. You may be scared that no one will want to hear what you have to say, but remember that at one point, that's how these other people felt as well. They made a change, and changed themselves in the process, for they were inspired by those who came before them, and built on this legacy by trusting in their own ingenuity. Now, it's your turn to trust yourself. And if you don't think it's possible, just remember that this entire spiel is coming from a winged Stegoceratops."

She stepped back and spread her wings.

"The time has come for us to take our first step towards a brighter future. From this moment on, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, _and_ Pallasmaa will become one. We will join the past, the present, and the future as well, all with a little magic. It may sound silly, but I promise, it'll be more or less acceptable in practice. In any case, we will learn from each other by becoming one."

And with that, her chest began to glow with the magic of The Star, and radiant gateways began to appear at every corner, bridging the gap between the two franchise-worlds, as well as the Asterparan island from which magic was born. The ceiling of the auditorium opened to reveal a bright, blue sky, as wide and infinite as the possibilities of this union. Claire beat her wings and flew into the light, emerging in her native world as a Queen and God, no longer fearing the gaze of humans, who she knew would come to accept her as she was. After all, it is impossible to suppress the goodness of humanity forever, though it may sometimes seem like the world will never be the utopia we envision.

Claire was certain that there would be times when her people would see her as an animal, and that the revelation of her hybrid form would not be met with unanimous acceptance, but in time, she would be seen as no more or less than a human being.

That day would come sooner than she thought.

As Claire soared over the characters of Jurassic World, they gazed up at their Queen with shining eyes, hearts aglow with the wonder of this magical being who had started off as a human and become so much more, not because she strived for perfection, but because she strived to be herself, and so was beautiful to those who understood her, and who would someday understand themselves in the same way. She saw tears of joy, a great deal of which were her own, but they stayed on her scales, and her smile made it impossible to tell that she was crying.

Claire Dearing crossed the Earth and touched down on a mountain that overlooked the wild and changing world, and as she gazed at her kingdom, she extended her wings to their fullest breadth and reared up on her hind legs, giving a moo that echoed throughout the land, ringing in a melody that would be heard for ages, and would never be forgotten as long as someone was around to tell her story.

 _Cler, da Rei._

 _Hybrido Rei._

 _Sî, tœ._

 _Tœ arc da lei._

 _Da lei den vo corat._

She was home.


	26. Claire Wakes Up

Claire gasped and sat up in bed, heart pounding. It had been ages since she'd experienced that sensation of waking up in an unexpected place, but the few seconds after she opened her eyes made up for that by being the most perplexing ones of her life. Not only had she woken up where she didn't expect to, but she didn't even KNOW the place, and as time went on, she found that she could not recall how she'd arrived there, though she was sure there must be some logical explanation.

The walls were a washed-out white.

The curtains were pastel pink.

The sheets were baby blue.

It was a hospital.

Claire swallowed, tongue dry as sandpaper, and tried to get out of bed. She didn't make it very far, because she realized that she was human, and that her wings had disappeared. She reached for her back from all angles, wondering if she was mistaken, but they were simply gone. She was contorted in this awkward pose when Owen dashed into the room, eyes wide.

"Claire, you're awake!"

She took in a dry breath and spoke in a feeble, gravelly rasp.

"Where am I?"

Owen put his hands on her shoulders.

"Claire, lie down. This may come as a shock. You've been in a coma for the past twenty years."

Her eyes went wide.

"That's impossible . . ."

Owen looked at her sadly.

"We used the money Mr. Masrani willed to you to keep you on life support. I didn't think you'd recover, but I came to see you every day . . ."

Claire held her head in distress.

"No . . . No, that's impossible. I just got my wings. I'm supposed to be a dinosaur!"

Owen stared at her for a long time, then reached out and patted her hand.

"Claire, I still love you, even if you're a little bit crazy."

She swatted him away.

"I'm not crazy! It's real! It's ALL real!"

Her jaw dropped when a young girl entered the room.

"Elkay!"

"Sorry, that's not who I am. Now that you're awake, I can tell you the truth. I'm your therapist. I spoke to you in your coma so you wouldn't lose your memories. I was the one fabricating your delusions the whole time. It's okay, though. You're in the real world now."

Owen smiled.

"That's right, Claire. And I have good news. In the years you were asleep, a time machine was invented, so we can go back to when you hit your head on the way out of the Jurassic World refugee camp. Combining that with an anti-aging serum, we can go back to the way things were, like none of this every happened."

Claire shook her head, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Owen, I don't WANT to go back! I LIKE my life as a dinosaur! I want to be a Stegoceratops!"

He cradled her cheek.

"I know, Claire, but it's just not possible. People can't change into dinosaurs."

The therapist nodded.

"He's right, Claire. That was all a fantasy. But think of it this way: you get to live those twenty years all over again, only different this time. Kind of like we discussed at the end of the multiple universe part of your therapy, eh?"

Claire sniffled.

"But . . . But this isn't my story."

"Of course it is. Did you honestly think that your experience at Jurassic World would be followed up by silly nonsense? No! The 'sequel' to your story would have to be sensible if any continuity was to be maintained. You can't have two alternate worlds going at once."

"But what about my friends?"

"I'm sorry. Most of them are dead. They never came back as hybrids."

Claire's eyes glistened with tears.

"What about Lily? . . ."

Owen sat beside her, cupping his hands around hers.

"Listen, Claire, I know you're upset about this, but we can have a real child now. Hell, we can have two or three, once I take the cure for impotence. How does that sound?"

Claire burst into tears. The therapist patted her back slowly and sighed.

"I know it's hard to take, Claire, but didn't your story have a happy ending? Can't you be satisfied with the conclusion where you're a dinosaur queen and leave it at that?"

"I wanted to live the rest of my life in that world!"

"I know, I know. We all did. But there's a point you have to grow up. Why don't we try to do something that's NOT silly for a change? Why don't we live like normal people?"

Claire wept into her hands, feeling her heart tearing to pieces. The therapist gave her a sympathetic look before perking up suddenly.

"Oh! There's one more thing I have to tell you. It's really important. Listen carefully."

She leaned over and whispered in Claire's ear.

"April Fools'."


	27. Doubt

"I can't believe you did that to me!" Claire spat as she paced in front of Elkay, "Do you know how much psychological damage you caused?"

"None whatsoever, unless you count the brain tumor that came as a side effect of dreamwalking."

Claire paused. Elkay gave a devilish grin.

"April Fools' again."

Claire stamped her foot and snorted.

"Shut up! You're in big trouble. I never gave you permission to enter my mind."

Elkay leaned forward on her front paws, pouting in an exaggerated manner.

"But Cwaiwe, how am I s'posda make fwiends when I'm stuck in this gawden?"

"No one said you had to stay with Ellie until she wakes up. In fact, I told you NOT to stay with Ellie. _Ellie_ told you not to stay with Ellie! And when did you have time to build a _garden_?!"

"I made a promise to myself, and I've been sitting here for days. Duh."

"So you thought it would be a good idea to make me suicidal, huh?"

Elkay's ears flicked back.

"Jesus, Claire! Suicidal? Do you really want to be a Stegoceratops that badly? You need therapy. Claire-apy. Listen, keep that therian shit on Tumblr, okay?"

Claire gnashed her teeth.

"I'm a _dinosaur_ , Elkay."

"You sure you're not spacekin? You have a star inside of you. Well, not a real star, but you probably didn't know that, since you stole it."

"I didn't _steal_ it! It _chose_ me!"

"Right, right. Well, let me know when steg-you decide to be honest with steg-yourself."

Claire's tail swished from side to side.

"Elkay, this is a warning."

"Well, I didn't think it was a tea party."

Before she had a chance to slap her, Owen entered the garden with Liam and Lily by his side. He considered backing away, but the two feuding women had already spotted him.

"Hey . . . What's up?" he squeaked.

Elkay dipped her head in front of Claire before she had a chance to speak. Since her neck was so long, her body remained behind the tense Stegoceratops.

"Claire's being a jerk. Steg-she says I really pissed steg-her off."

Owen narrowed his eyes.

"Are you having some kind of seizure?"

"Ableist."

Claire pushed the dragon's face aside.

"I don't know what Elkay's up to, but I suspect she's doing everything within her power to annoy me."

"Correct. And I'm succeeding."

"You're not."

"You've taken all the bait so far. How can I stir things up more? Would you like to know about the STI Owen had when he met you?"

Claire's jaw dropped.

"That's a lie, and it's completely inappropriate!"

"Cross my heart, it's true. Ellie made me cure him. And if you're worried about Lily hearing this stuff, bear in mind she's almost of age. She's not as delicate as you think."

Claire's muscles began to bunch up as she dug her front feet into the ground.

"Leave Lily out of this . . ."

"Fine. But just so you know, it's Owen's fault for bringing her here in the first place. What was even the _point_ of that? She's said literally nothing this entire time! Is she just here so that we can be reminded she exists?"

A raptor poked his head out of the foliage.

"Elkay, Elkay."

"SHUT UP, PABLO!"

Lily backed away, picking up Liam by the scruff of the neck. Elkay rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, you walk away. Don't stick around, or you might hear about your father's syphilis."

Suddenly, Claire pinned Elkay to the garden wall with magic. She scrambled around and choked for a few seconds.

"GAK! I guess you figured out forcefield spells . . ."

Claire gnashed her teeth.

"Elkay, this is my final warning. I've been more than generous. Are you going to behave?"

". . . Yes . . ."

The dragon dropped to the ground. She rubbed her neck irritably.

"Jesus, Claire, the fuck is wrong with you?! That's physical assault!"

"You're a dragon."

"Yeah, and _you_ were choking me."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"I don't think you know your own strength. Anyway, don't ever do that to your political opponents, or the press won't get off your back. Psycho."

Claire shrugged.

"You've been known to attack your peers. What I do, I do in self defence."

"Same goes for me, but I don't _strangle_ people when they cross me . . . Actually, I withdraw that comment. There's probably evidence in the text."

"Alright. Have a nice day."

"I know you don't mean that."

"I know you know. But our conversation is over."

Elkay snuffed.

"Whatever. Just for the record, though, Ellie wouldn't have strangled me."

Claire stopped dead in her tracks. Owen reached out for her horn, but she had already whipped her head around.

"What did you say?"

"Well, if you're supposed to be the new Ellie, you should act like her. Ellie never hurt me . . . Except when she murdered me that one time. But she was darkwings then. Do you think _you_ might be turning to the dark side? . . ."

It was clearly bait, but Claire's pride prevented her from keeping quiet.

"I'm not turning darkwings, and I'm not the new Ellie. Ellie is gone. I'm Claire."

"I can see that. It's hard to mistake that rotund figure of yours for anything but a middle-aged cow."

Claire slammed her tail into the dirt.

"Elkay, if you don't stop, I'll have to resort to . . . stronger measures."

"You're all bark and no bite, Claire. You've threatened me about ten times today, but all you've actually done is pin me to a wall. Afraid you'll have to turn me to stone as well?"

"If I have to, I'll do it."

Hearing the venom in her own voice, she took a deep breath.

"As is, you're just a nuisance. Don't waste my time."

"Don't _let_ me."

"I won't. I'm leaving."

And she did.

Elkay pricked her ears, wondering if Claire was smart enough to know she should keep her mouth shut until she was out of the dragon's acute range of hearing.

"Syphilis, Owen? Really?"

"I wouldn't doubt it, Claire."

Apparently not.

***TSFEW***

Claire woke up the next morning feeling abnormally well-rested, so much so that she was almost expecting everything to turn to shit, because whenever she felt this good, it was a sign that the universe would balance it out with some sort of crisis or catastrophe. That being said, Elkay had left her alone, though her silence was almost more threatening than the alternative. Claire had blocked her from her mind after the April Fools' incident, of course . . . Unless this was all part of her dream, and- No, she was being paranoid. That was what the dragon wanted.

Claire shook her head and lumbered over to the window, giving a deep yawn. When she pulled back the curtains, her face fell, and she groaned.

"Oh, what now?!"

A queue of dinosaurs and humans were lined up at the gateway to Elkay's garden. Whatever was going on, it couldn't be good.

Claire stretched her wings and dropped out of her tower, forgetting how quickly she could fall. She became airborne only a few meters from the ground, flapping her wings gently so they wouldn't be scraped. She turned upwards quickly, heart pumping from the close call. She would have to get used to her new powers.

When she entered the garden, the crowd parted to let her by. She wove between raptors and humans until she came to Ellie's resting place. When she saw Elkay collecting cash from a group at the front of the mob, she gnashed her teeth.

"Elkay . . ."

The dragon pricked her ears.

"Hello, Claire. You'll have to move to the back of the line. Actually, you should grab your wallet first. It's five bucks a visit and ten for a selfie."

Claire wheeled around to face the crowd.

"Alright, everybody out!"

From the middle of the line, Yannick growled.

"But I want to see Ellie!"

"OUT!"

She blew them back with wind from her wings. Yannick roared as he slid towards the gate.

"I've been waiting for an hour! This is so unfair! You can suck my big, yellow-"

The door slammed in his face. Elkay cocked her head.

"I think he was about to say 'dick'."

Claire frowned.

"Do I have to assign you a babysitter?"

"Usually, my son takes care of me, but he's both asleep right now."

"That's it! Get out of this garden!"

"You can't make me! I promised Ellie!"

"I don't care! Promise or no promise, you're becoming a real pest!"

"So you're altering the deal?"

"There _was_ no deal!"

Elkay gave her an abnormally serious stare.

"I made a promise to Ellie. There's no backing out of that. _Unless . . ._ "

Claire was almost afraid to ask.

"Unless what?"

"Unless you find Moonwatcher."

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Who?"

"Moonwatcher. The new narrator. The one telling side stories."

Claire narrowed her eyes further. Elkay slapped her forehead.

"The one who looks like me as a human! She's in Greece doing research right now."

Claire spun around and flicked her tail.

"Fine. I'll go find her. Once I do, you'll be able to leave this garden and get back to normal . . . Well, as normal as _you_ can be, anyway."

Elkay shook her head.

"Uh-uh. No way. I'm not gonna do this unless there's something in it for me."

"I'll buy you a new toy."

Elkay unfolded a scroll that rolled across the ground. Claire looked between her legs to see where it ended. A pen bounced off her frill.

"Just sign on the dotted line. No need to read it."

Claire frowned.

"I'm not signing something without reading it."

"Chicken."

"I'm not a chicken! I'm responsible!"

"Careful. You'll go darkwings."

Claire picked up the pen with her mouth.

"Fime. Immuma thime thuh paypaw-"

She frowned.

"Whathiss?"

Elkay looked where she was pointing.

"That's my name."

"You have a last name?"

"Yes. My name is K- Tiamat. What of it?"

". . . I just thought dragons didn't have last names."

"Racist."

Claire signed the document and spat out the pen.

"Alright. I'm going to Greece. Stay here."

As she exited the garden, Alan and Ian stepped through the door. They turned to look at her, wondering what had just transpired between the dragon and the Queen. She flicked her tail impatiently.

"Going to Greece. Only way to make Elkay leave."

The two men shared a look, then turned back to her.

"We're coming too."

***TSFEW***

Hours later, they were sailing across a misty sea in silence. Claire pulled their lifeboat along using two ropes attached to a harness on her waist. Alan and Ian were playing cards with blank expressions. Claire soared ahead in silence, oblivious to their boredom. Ian revealed his hand, and Alan blinked.

"That's not even close to winning."

"This game is stupid."

He turned to Claire.

"Hey, Dearing, when are we gonna get there?"

"Don't know," she replied tersely.

"Can you speed it up?"

"No."

Ian sighed emphatically.

"Look, can't you just teleport us there or something?"

"I . . . I don't want to try."

"Why not?"

She glanced from side to side.

"This morning . . . I pinned Elkay to the wall. Don't tell her, but I didn't mean to do that."

Ian's face went pale.

"You don't think you're . . . going black-wings?"

"Darkwings."

"That sounds too cartoony."

Claire gave an uncertain rumble.

"Can we change the subject? I'm not comfortable with this . . ."

"Why not?" Alan interjected, "Do you think it's true?"

Claire's lip quivered.

"I don't know, okay?! All I know is that I don't have full control of my powers yet, and if I don't figure things out soon . . ."

Ian's jaw dropped.

"Is something bad gonna happen?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

The three of them froze when they heard a fluttering sound. Claire's spine tingled.

"What was that? . . ." Alan whispered.

The fluttering came again. Ahead of the boat, a silhouette appeared in the mist. As it drew near, Claire made out the shape of a stegoceratopsian monster that hovered without wings. It had a pale face with sunken-in eyes, which glowed red. Its beak was pink and its mouth was full of pointed teeth. It had two front horns, and too many plates. All four feet were a creamy color, and the back ones had long claws on the heel. The body was mostly white with a gold band around the neck and a purple-blue underbelly, which was interrupted by some kind of fleshy belt. The frill was plain and colored red-brown, and the tail-spikes stood vertically. Behind the points on the figure's shoulders, two long tube-appendages thrashed around in the wind. That must have been what was making the fluttering sound.

As the creature approached, it sneered in an unsettlingly calm manner. Claire gulped, beating her wings slowly.

"H-Hello?"

The monster hissed.

"Hello, Claire. Did you miss me?"

"Miss you? . . ."

It pouted.

"Don't you recognize me? We've met before . . ."

Claire shuddered. The creature's voice was like vibrating glass.

"What do you want from me?"

It cackled.

"I want to eat you, of course. Slowly and painfully, until there's nothing left."

Claire lowered her horns defensively, noticing that her opponent's were much larger.

"Who _are_ you?"

It smiled.

"Well, my name is Doubt, if that helps . . ."

Claire gulped.

"Oh. I get it."

Ian tugged on her tail gently.

"Hey, uh, you can blast this thing with magic, right?"

The monster chuckled.

"Not after she's been feeding me for so long."

Ian blinked.

"I see what you did there."

Claire waved her front horn in warning.

"Stay back. I'll fight you."

Doubt giggled.

"Poor Claire. You're _always_ fighting me. But more often than not, I tend to win . . ."

Suddenly, two fangs slipped from her cheeks, and she gave a screech louder than a thousand forks digging into porcelain. Claire didn't have the chance to dodge her attack. She howled as her neck was torn open.

***TSFEW***

"I don't know if I'd call myself an auteur, exactly, but I definitely have a style of my own," Elkay said with an air of sophistication as she sat beside a Troödon who was clearly trying to have a peaceful lunch in the garden, "I mean, I get good reviews and all, except from crazy people who-"

She pricked her ears.

"Claire's in trouble."

The Troödon sighed with relief.

"Oh, thank god."

"Shush. I'm _not_ going after her."

"Crap! . . . I mean . . . do the right thing? . . ."

When Elkay heard a second scream in her mind, her ears flattened.

"No, no, no . . . I _can't_ leave Ellie! That would break the deal _and_ my contract!"

After a pause, she shook her head, clawing at her ears.

"Fuck!"

She took off, leaving the Troödon behind. He took a bite out of his sandwich.

***TSFEW***

Claire didn't know if she was choking on blood or seawater. Doubt had grown strong enough to slam her with tidal waves, using some kind of dark magic. Claire wondered how she had been able to create something stronger than her own will. She could feel her own strength draining as her enemy became more powerful. Alan and Ian didn't seem to be doing so hot either. The latter was passed out, but when he came to briefly, the terror of the in-progress mouth-to-mouth made him more alert than the catastrophic powers of Claire's monster. He yelped and started spitting into the water, then fainted at the sight of the glowing blood that spurted from Claire's neck. She gave a helpless moo.

Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a whooping screech pierced the air, and a yellow bolt sliced through the spectre's chest. It exploded with a final scream. Elkay landed on the overturned boat, posing dramatically.

"No more Doubt."

Claire coughed up the last of whatever was in her lungs and took the time to heal. She swam to the boat and draped herself over the wet wood with exhaustion.

"Elkay, you came b-"

She flinched as the dragon snapped at her, exposing her fangs.

"You stupid bitch! I had to leave Ellie because of you! I didn't even last a month!"

Claire gulped.

"Elkay, I didn't think-"

"SHUT UP!" she snarled, "Now Ellie will never know how much I cared about her."

Claire looked up weakly.

"Elkay, I'm sure she-"

"No, don't you _dare_ finish that sentence. You are _slime_. I broke a _contract_ for you. I hope you realize what you've done. I'm sure it won't mean much coming from me, but know that I say this with all of my heart . . . I _hate_ you."

Claire gazed up at the dragon helplessly. She snuffed and turned away, unfolding her leathery wings.

"It's time to turn back. We don't need that stupid narrator anymore."

She righted the boat, then carried Alan, Ian, and Claire to safety.

No one said a word for the entire trip.

***TSFEW***

That evening, Claire sat with her feet soaking in buckets of warm water and a pillow tied to her head. She didn't have the heart to tell Owen that he made a poor doctor, and probably had no idea what he was doing. He crossed the room and stuck a thermometer in her mouth, then pulled it out again after less than a second.

"Okay . . . That little ball at the bottom is filled up all the way. Is that bad?"

Claire sighed.

"No, it's fine. I'm okay."

Owen tapped the glass with frustration.

"They say to use this on dinosaurs, but maybe it's the wrong brand."

"What brand is it?"

"The vet called it Rectall or something . . ."

Claire didn't have the strength to care. She groaned and pulled her feet out of the water, untying her pillow-hat solemnly.

"Owen, I really screwed up today. Elkay hates me."

"I thought she always hated you."

"But this time it's official and partly justified. What am I gonna do?"

Owen shrugged.

"Just let it go. Who cares what she thinks?"

Claire shrugged.

"I'm not worried about how she sees me exactly, but . . . do you think she's lashing out?"

"Lashing out? Why?"

Claire gave him a serious look.

"Oh."

She nodded.

"Uh-huh, and who knows if she'll ever let it go? . . ."

"I'm sure she will eventually."

Claire snorted.

"Sure, sure . . . You're always sure. What makes you so sure of yourself, Mr. Confident?"

Owen shrugged.

"I have no doubt."

Claire stared at him for a long time, then turned around sourly.

"I'm going to bed."


	28. Mister Dearing

In the days following the big argument, Claire noticed that she was experiencing a constant sickness to her stomach. It wasn't the first time the dragon had criticized her or been flat out cruel, but something felt different this time. Elkay's remarks had the same levity as before, but there seemed to be more bite. Claire couldn't put it into words, exactly, but something felt different about the way she was being criticized, and although she had no reason to care about the opinion of her new rival, part of her was trying to seek out her approval even now. She didn't know why she was so upset by this, but she had a feeling it was partly guilt. Claire was responsible for the "death" of Ellie, after all. She still didn't feel good about that . . . to put it lightly.

In order to distance herself from the dragon, Claire returned to her homeworld, relieved to be back at her ranch where she belonged. The first day of her vacation went rather well. She hiked up to the lake with Lily and Charlie while Owen worked in the yard. When they reunited, they had dinner as a family, which was pleasant . . . until the world came crashing down in less than a second.

It began when the doorbell rang. Everyone looked up from their plates and exchanged confused looks. Although the magical border between the ranch and the outside world was no longer in place, Claire was not expecting any visitors. After revealing herself to her subjects, things had been surprisingly quiet, actually. Obviously, not everyone could be expected to honor her privacy, but she didn't expect people to simply walk up to her house and ring the doorbell. She decided to answer it anyway.

And that was when things really fell apart.

Claire was nervous about greeting whoever had disturbed her dinner. Worst case scenario, it might be a world leader who had come to declare nuclear war at her front porch for some reason. As far-fetched and pessimistic as this hypothesis was, the actual situation was even crazier and much, much worse. The man standing on Claire's doorstep was familiar to her, but for a moment, she was desperate to deny that she had identified him correctly. He was older than she remembered, which was only natural, and he had gained a bit of weight, which threw her off at first. Still, try as she might, she could not fool herself into denying who this man was, and why he must be here. He gave an obnoxious, toothy grin that made Claire's insides twist with an ominous force, and she felt like she was on the verge of regurgitating all three stomachs in a spout of projectile vomit, which would at least knock the visitor back and give her the chance to run for it. She did not throw up, however, for the guest slapped her shoulder carelessly, making her flinch even though her scales were thick enough to stop it from hurting too much, and he gave a deep, throaty laugh.

"Man, they weren't kidding when they said you were a dinosaur!"

Claire stared up at this intrusive man, barely processing the fact that he had just spoken, and felt herself become petrified, the same way she would be if she were to suddenly spot the waves of an expanding mushroom cloud on the horizon. Atomic fire danced in her field of vision, and she stared ahead in silence, watching as the world she knew was annihilated. This was worse than nuclear war, actually. Of all the things that could have happened on this day, this was without a doubt the worst possible thing. She would have preferred to have her throat cut again. She would have preferred to be slaughtered a million times over.

There was no turning back now.

This loathsome man was expecting a reply, and as much as she wanted to slam the door in his face, she could not do so without making the situation worse. So she opened her mouth, hoping something intelligent would come out of it, and while her reply did not resolve anything in the slightest, it was at the very least was somewhat appropriate.

"Dad?"

***TSFEW***

Claire didn't realize that Owen, Lily, and Charlie were standing behind her. She seemed to be registering events with a delay of about thirty seconds, which was why she allowed herself to be yanked from side to side by her curious father.

"Man, they sure did a number on you. What do you call yourself again? A stickyceratop or something?"

Claire squeaked.

"Steg- Stegoc-"

He pulled her head up by the horn.

"Wow, you're heavy all over. How do you even stay standing? Might be easier to balance if you saw these babies off."

Claire stared ahead and made a noise that sounded like "Bluh". Her father continued to poke and prod.

"I was hoping you'd be one of those claw-toed things. I thought you'd have hands, at least. You didn't get to pick your color, right? Oh, of course not. No one would want to be green."

Claire opened her mouth.

"A-ah?"

He grabbed her front horn and twisted her snout.

"Wasn't enough to hide your freckles, though. Too bad. Anyway, how have you been? Seems like you've been busy. Is that the guy that knocked you up?"

Owen adopted Claire's stupor as her father gave him a disdainful scan. He was like a medusa of awkwardness. And he wasn't done yet.

"Honey, you don't have to support him. Divorce is always an option. If the kid's a problem, you can always give it up for-"

He caught sight of Lily and winced.

"Ugh. That doesn't look healthy. You know, if you want to terminate it now, I'm sure no one would have an objection. It doesn't seem legal, anyway."

Charlie backed out of the hallway, sensing she was next. Claire's father slapped her shoulder once again.

"So I hear you're president of the world now. How's that going?"

Claire stared ahead blankly.

"Good."

"That's great to hear! Glad to see you're respecting the family name- you _did_ keep your name, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"That's my girl! Us Dearing's are bred for success. It's in our blood. Speaking of which, you might wanna fix this whole dinosaur thing. Doesn't seem to fit our image, if you know what I'm saying . . ."

"I . . . guess . . ."

He elbowed her playfully and smiled like he was chewing gum.

"Attagirl! Now, show me to my room. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Up . . . stairs."

He slapped her once more for good measure, then clomped up the staircase. Noticing his muddy trail, Owen lifted a finger.

"Uh, we usually take our shoes off . . ."

"That's alright. The maid will clean it up."

"We don't have a maid."

"Get the mutant to do it, then."

He disappeared around the corner. Lily blinked.

"Is he talking about me? . . ."

It was then that Claire fell onto her side, legs sticking out like a squished bug.

***TSFEW***

All night, Owen made a plan to mend the situation. Even as he dreamed, he pondered the options available to him and his beloved wife. He thought about it some more when he woke up in the morning, and when he thought he had it mostly sorted out, he rolled over to discuss the issue with Claire, only to find that she was not in bed. He frowned and made his way downstairs.

Claire was sitting in the kitchen, looking over a stack of papers. When he cleared his throat, she jumped, then smiled.

"Hi, Owen. I have something for you to sign."

She flicked a pair of reading glasses off her snout by tossing her head. Owen batted his eyes as she shoved the document in his face.

"What's this? . . ." he pried cautiously.

"Forms. I'm going to take your name. I need your signature to legally change mine and change yours back."

Owen narrowed his eyes.

"Claire . . ."

"Yes?"

"Is this about your father?"

She laughed loudly.

"What? No! That's crazy- That's crazy-talk. Here. Sign. Now. Do it."

Her eye twitched as she held the document out further. Owen twisted his mouth.

"So your father arrives, makes a comment about your name, and the very next day, you decide to change it for unrelated reasons?"

"Yep. Yep, yep, yep. Sign. Now. Sign it. Hurry."

Owen took a deep breath and pushed her feet to the side. When they snapped back, he grabbed the papers and tore them in half. Claire's face fell.

"What did you do _that_ for?"

"Darling, you're acting crazy. There are many times I worry for your mind, and this is one of them."

Claire frowned.

"There's nothing wrong with me, okay? It's perfectly reasonable for people to change their names decades into a marriage. Don't you think Claire Grady sounds much better, anyway?"

"If you want to know what I _really_ think-"

"It was a hypothetical question."

Owen frowned sadly as Claire lumbered towards the patio door. She opened the screen and slipped outside. The birds were starting to sing, yet the sun was still pale, but bright all the same. Owen put his hand on Claire's shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?"

She looked away.

"I don't know. It never came up, I guess."

Owen shook his head.

"I find that hard to believe. Remember all those times I told you about _my_ father?"

"You seldom did."

"I know, because I didn't like talking about it, but I confided in you nonetheless."

"So I'm a bad person for not telling you?"

"No, Claire. That's not what I'm saying. I'm just wondering why it is that whenever I brought up my estranged father, you never once mentioned that you were going through something similar."

"It's a completely different situation! Your father left because he was a piece of slime who didn't appreciate you or your mother. _My_ father left because he was too good for my family."

Owen raised his eyebrows.

"Too good for your family? . . ."

Claire nodded.

"He makes six times what I did as park manager. He's constantly flying around the world for business. He knows billionaires and famous entrepreneurs. He was on a magazine cover, once."

Owen frowned.

"Claire, you made a lot of money working for Ellie, you travel across the globe constantly for epic adventures, you're good friends with Mr. Masrani and well-known Asterparans, and you're in the thing that the dragon is writing . . ."

Claire snorted.

"Oh, yippee. I have millions saved from when I was working for my best friend- who I killed, by the way- I fly all over the world stowed away in cargo planes or giant robots or using my wings and plates in order to face dangerous situations from which I may never return, I socialize with a talking tiger who lives in a fairy kingdom and work with technicolor animals, and I'm a character in someone's FanFiction. Yeah, I'm really living the good life."

Owen bit his lip.

"You're not happy? . . ."

Claire sighed.

"Of course I'm _happy_ , Owen, but my father's done much better than me. He gets to be happy _and_ live a glamorous life."

"Are you sure he's happy?"

"He seems to be."

"Well, maybe, but why should it matter to you? I mean, you don't have to base your happiness on how much more successful you are than your father . . ."

Claire whined.

"Owen, try to understand. My whole life, I've watched him succeed at everything without lifting a finger while I'm stuck working my ass off to get even a little credibility. People respect him because he does well. Everyone at work used to hate me for trying to do the same. Do you wanna know why?"

"Uh . . ."

"Because people thought I was a bitch. Telling my employees what to do was part of my job, but everyone hated me for it."

"Well, you tend to come off as bossy sometimes-"

"Don't interrupt me!" she snapped, "All I'm saying is that for some reason, he gets everything he wants handed to him on a silver platter, but when I try to command the same respect, people talk behind my back."

Owen rubbed the back of her neck slowly.

"Claire, I know plenty of people who respect you. You're Queen of the Universe, for christ's sake. I know it's hard to face criticism, but you have to remember that the people who complain about you are usually in the minority."

"But their voices are the loudest."

"Maybe. But you gotta learn to tune them out."

Tears brimmed in Claire's eyes.

"But what if they're right? What if I'm just some useless wannabe who thinks she's more important than she actually is?"

"Again, you're Queen of the Universe . . ."

Claire sniffed and wiped her snout with the back of her foot.

"That doesn't mean anything. The only reason I'm Queen is because I stood up to Ellie."

"Didn't The Star choose you?"

"I don't even know anymore! And who cares what a little glowing rock thinks?"

"Well, it's the creator of everything-"

"But it's not a businessman, is it?"

". . . No? . . ."

"You won't see The Star in the newspaper."

"I think it might have been, actually, since-"

"You don't understand, Owen. I'm not _doing_ things. I'm just having things _happen_ to me."

"You just said you work hard . . ."

"Yeah, and I have nothing to show for it!"

Owen looked at her wings, then decided not to comment. He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Claire, if you're feeling upset about this, maybe we should just send him away. It's not like we're required to keep him here."

Claire looked out at the rising sun.

"No. We have to keep him close. If we kick him out now, he'll think we have something to hide."

" _We_?"

"He'll think we're ashamed . . ."

"But we're not . . . are we?"

Claire didn't reply. Instead, she went back inside. After a pause, Owen followed.

***TSFEW***

The awakening of Claire's father was signalled by loud footsteps, which shook the roof and made the dishes rattle in their cupboards. He stamped down the stairs shortly after this cacophony, yawning emphatically as he plopped himself at the table.

"Boy, that was a rough night. You ought to upgrade your guest mattress. I know Dearing's wake up early, but man . . ."

Claire snuffed noncommittally, then placed a plate in front of him. When he saw that it was holding two eggs, he sneered.

"No bacon?"

Claire gulped.

"We . . . We don't exactly eat bacon here."

He snorted and began stabbing his eggs.

"This dinosaur thing really messed with your mind. You should find a way to change back."

Claire inhaled through her nostrils.

"I can, actually. I just choose not to."

He laughed, spitting out little chunks of yolk.

"Why not? Afraid you'll offend the walking abomination?"

Claire tensed up slightly, but her eyes remained calm.

"Don't talk about my daughter that way . . ."

"Ah, relax. She doesn't mind. I'm sure she'd rather be human, anyway. How did she end up like that? I hope you didn't _try_ anything in this state."

Claire took a shaky breath.

"This is what I'm supposed to be. There's nothing wrong with the way I am."

He dropped his fork and stared straight at her, jaw hanging.

"You're kidding, right? Look at yourself! You're fat, green, and covered in scales. It's no wonder you got stuck with this loser."

Owen uncrossed his arms and began to walk forward, but Claire pushed him back with her tail.

"Dad, I like myself. Changing into a Stegoceratops made me realize who I am. I'm okay with it now."

He shrugged.

"I think you've just settled. I'm sure you had some sort of crisis once you found out you could be something this . . . _inhuman_ . . . so you had to justify it by staying this way to avoid embarrassment."

"I couldn't always change back . . ."

"Well, there you go. You were humiliated by your dinosaur self, so you stuck to it as a coping mechanism. But listen, hon, just because you turn ugly, it doesn't mean you have to stay that way forever. Sure, you'll always have the shame of being a grass-sucking hybrid, but the important thing is that you move on and-"

Suddenly, Claire drove her horns under the table and flipped it over. Her father raised his arms in panic. Claire roared and slammed her front feet down in front of him.

"I'M NOT UGLY! I'M A BEAUTIFUL DINOSAUR AND IF YOU CAN'T SEE THAT, YOU'RE A STUPID, STUPID MAN!"

He cowered in fear.

"Claire, baby, take a look at yourself. You've become deluded and-"

He yelped and ducked to the side as she splintered his chair with her tail.

"I AM BEAUTIFUL!"

He crawled backwards as she advanced.

"Sweetie, honey, Clairebear . . ."

Owen blinked.

"He calls you Clairebear too?"

Her father gave a terrified smile.

"Listen, pumpkin, I know it's hard to understand, but having horns and plates . . . it's not _normal_ . . ."

Claire mooed so loudly that he had to cover his ears.

"I'll tell you what's not normal! Abandoning your family is not normal! Being a pig is not normal! How do you think it felt going online and seeing articles about the women you were fucking?!"

He whimpered.

"Not good, I'm guessing, but that's all in the pa-"

She spun around. He ducked to avoid decapitation via thagomizer.

"You thought you could do whatever you wanted because you had a good job, but that's not a replacement for human decency!"

"Sweetie pumpkin peanutcake, I think you _might_ not be qualified to judge what counts as human, seeing how you're-"

"Half stegosaurus, half triceratops, all get-the-heck-out-of-the-way?! Well, _Dad_ , I just happen to be more human than you! When was the last time you did something for anyone but yourself?"

"Well, last month, I visited your half s-"

Suddenly, Claire lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar. She dragged him out the front door.

"AH! LET GO OF ME, YOU CRAZY ANIMAL!"

Claire snarled and shook him back and forth.

"Rng!"

Meanwhile, Lily and Charlie had made their way outside. They watched in horror as their mother attempted to trample the helpless man.

"I'll kill you, you pig!" she barked.

"Claire, cupcake- sweetiedon'tsquishme!"

He rolled over as she slammed her front feet into the dirt. She snorted, then tossed her head and charged.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Not the crotch! Not the crotch! Not the- AH!"

***TSFEW***

Claire paced anxiously in the dining room. She had wiped the blood and dirt off her horns, but she wasn't feeling any better. When Owen came down the staircase with a stained towel, she bit her lower beak.

"How is he?"

"Alive, but I don't think he'll be having any more children. You really did a number on . . . him . . ."

"But he's okay?"

"More or less. I'm no doctor, but he looks fine."

"Should we take him to a hospital?"

"It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be."

"I almost tore off his junk."

"Well, if we want to bring a real doctor into it, I think Freud might have something to say about all this . . ."

Claire sighed.

"I feel awful. I must be the worst daughter in the world."

"I don't think it's your fault. He's not the greatest father, and I should know."

He tossed the towel in the sink casually.

"By the way, he asked to see you. I think. His voice don't sound right no more."

Claire gulped.

"Is he gonna sue?"

"I don't think so. I guess you'll have to ask, though."

Claire nodded and lumbered upstairs solemnly. When she entered the guest room, her father let his head roll to the side.

"You really did a number on me, sweetheart."

Claire laughed nervously.

"Yeah, about that . . . could you not tell anyone? It might look bad, me being a Queen and all . . ."

"I was actually going to talk to you about that. See, I had a reason for coming here right out of the blue. You remember my law firm, right?"

"Yeah? . . ."

"Well, ironically, we're in a bit of legal trouble, and it would look really good if we could have the support of important figures right now."

Claire cocked her head. Her father wove his fingers together.

"Figures such as a Queen."

Claire stared at him for a long time. Then, her face broke into a grin.

"You need my help . . ."

He nodded.

"Yes, darling, I'm afraid I do. I was wondering if you could do me a favor as my daughter-"

He jumped when she gave a loud, victorious laugh.

"You need my help, you pathetic sonofabitch!"

He winced.

"Yes, songbird, I-"

"Suck it."

"Pardon?"

"You can suck it. Suck it, suck it, suck it!"

He batted his eyes.

"Claire, I know I haven't been the best father, but-"

She cackled.

"No, Dad, you haven't, and you're not getting an ounce of my support!"

He looked out the window.

"That's disappointing. Can I at least stay here until the whole mess blows over?"

"Nope," she replied cheerfully.

"Oh. So I guess the dragon flew me down here for nothing."

Claire's face fell.

"Dragon? . . ."

***TSFEW***

Claire stamped her foot to get Elkay's attention. She dropped out of the tree she was sleeping in.

"What the hell?!"

"What the hell, yourself! You brought my _father_ back?"

She snuffed.

"Forgive me for trying to fix a broken family."

"You _know_ what you were doing . . ."

Elkay scoffed.

"Okay, fine. I tried to stir shit up. Did it work?"

"I nearly castrated him."

"Shit . . ."

"Yeah. And _you're_ next if you don't stop right now."

"Threatening me again?"

"What could I possibly do to a dragon?"

"Oh, plenty."

"Like what?"

"Besides summoning a one-off villain through emotions alone? Well, you _did_ pin me to a wall . . ."

Claire frowned.

"Right. So what's your next move, _dragon_?"

"Waiting for you, _cow_."

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"So, what do we do?"

Elkay smiled.

"We write."


	29. Syrup

Owen was all too familiar with the sound of a crying Stegoceratops. Ninety percent of the time, it was what woke him up in the middle of the night. Not only could he hear the sobs and sniffles, but sometimes, he could feel it too. Right now, the bed was shaking fiercely. He sat up and placed his hand on a scaly shoulder.

"Claire? . . ."

"Am I fat?"

She said it with such hysteria that Owen didn't understand the question at first. He blinked a couple of times and yawned.

"No, Claire, you're not fat. We've been through this before. You're average for a dinosaur."

"But do I LOOK fat?!"

"No. Why does it matter, anyway?"

"I don't want people to laugh at me."

"Nobody's laughing at you, Claire."

Owen was starting to fall asleep again. He shook his head and tried to lift his eyelids, but they were like lead.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" he yawned.

"Do I look funny?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I don't understand the question."

"Do I look weird?"

"No, you look like a dinosaur."

"But do I look weird for a dinosaur?"

"I don't know. Ask a dinosaur."

"Owen."

He groaned.

"Claire, I've told you a million times. You're fine. Can't you just believe me and go back to bed?"

She bit her lower beak.

"Okay. I'll go back to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She turned around, wrapping the covers over her shoulder. Owen sighed and lay still for a minute or two, but just as he was dozing off, he felt her plates trembling against his back.

"Claire . . ."

"I'm okay. Go to sleep."

"Well, I can't go to bed now . . ."

He crawled over her body and landed on the other side, then hugged her from the front.

"You don't look funny, Claire."

"I have a tail."

"Tails aren't funny-looking."

"Mine is weird, though."

"No, it's pretty normal. It's just a thing with things sticking out of it."

"Exactly. That's weird."

"How?"

". . . It just is."

"Did you think it was weird before you had it?"

"What?"

"You saw dinosaurs at the park every day. Did you think it looked weird on actual dinosaurs?"

"Well, no, but that's because dinosaurs are supposed to look that way."

"Yeah? . . ."

"But I have a weird head."

Owen rubbed the space between his eyes.

"A minute ago, you were saying your tail was weird . . ."

"It is!"

"So your head and tail are both weird? . . ."

"Together, yes."

Owen let out a long, deep breath.

"Claire, I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me the truth."

"I do. I tell you every day, but you never seem to believe me."

"I don't think it's a matter of believing."

"What?"

"I just want to know your opinion."

"And you do. I tell you all the time."

"Not yesterday."

Owen frowned with suspicion.

"Claire, have you been keeping track of the times I tell you you're pretty?"

"No. Maybe. No! I just noticed it yesterday. You didn't say anything."

"That means nothing. I still think you're pretty. It's not like I said you were ugly or anything."

"I had a dream you called me fat."

Owen frowned.

"Claire, you DO realize that there's a difference between dreams and reality, right?"

"Yes! I'm not stupid! It just got to me, that's all."

"Does this happen often?"

"Does what happen often?"

"Where you have a dream and get mad at me. Sometimes, you seem foul for no reason."

"No, that's just because you do stupid things."

"Like what?"

"Ruining your good shirt by putting it in with my reds."

He scoffed.

"Well, excuse me for not reinforcing your laundry apartheid, but if it bothered you so much, why didn't you tell me?"

"I did!"

"Okay, so what about the times when you didn't tell me what was wrong?"

"Like when?"

"Always."

"That's not specific enough."

"How am I supposed to single out what you were reacting to if I don't even know what it was?!"

Claire grumbled.

"Well, you can't expect me to say everything that's on my mind."

"Just like how you can't expect me to say you're pretty every day, even if it's true? . . ."

Claire stared at him for a long time, then rolled over and snorted with frustration.

"Goodnight."

She seemed ready to leave it at that until Owen poked her.

"Claire?"

"What!"

". . . Did I win the argument?"

"No. Go to bed."

"I did, didn't I?"

"No, Owen, you didn't win the argument because there WAS no argument."

"You got mad at me."

"I'm always mad at you, Owen."

He frowned and crawled on top of her. This time, she shook him off her back before he could make it all the way across.

"Go to sleep."

"I won't. You're still upset."

"Yeah, well why should YOU care?"

He rubbed her shoulder.

"Well, because I love you, for one thing . . ."

"Just drop it, Owen. You won the argument, alright? You won it and it's over now. Go to bed."

"Are you still upset?"

"I am, but for different reasons. Go to bed."

"But if you're upset-"

"I'll stop being upset when you go to bed!"

Owen rolled onto his back and folded his hands over his chest. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could see bumps on the ceiling. He hadn't noticed those before.

"Claire?"

"Rrrrrrrrr . . ."

She rolled onto her back. Owen smiled.

"You're pretty."

"I don't care. Go to sleep."

A pause.

"Claire?"

"What."

"You're beautiful."

She sighed and pulled him onto her belly, then draped her arms over him.

"Alright. Let's go to bed."

"And you're not fat, by the way."

"Neither are you."

"Glad to hear it."

***TSFEW***

Elkay glared at the page she was holding.

"What the hell was that?"

"A story," Claire said, "You asked me to tell a story."

"But it was boring!"

"So what?"

"I asked you for a REAL story, not just things that happen!"

"But it DID happen! There's nothing more real than 'things that happen'. That's life. Things just happen."

"Christ, and I thought the stuff I chose to narrate was boring. Here's a thought: why don't you start over?"

"This took me all day to write!"

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously! Do you know how time-consuming it is to constantly pause and play a memory to adapt it into text?!"

"Yes, I do. I very much do."

Claire gave a deep rumble.

"You said if I wrote a story, you'd consider liking me again."

"This isn't a story, and how are you stupid enough to believe me?"

Claire tossed her head.

"I despise you! You ask me to play by your rules, then you break them immediately!"

"You made me violate a contract, so it's only fair."

"Why did you save me if you were just gonna use the whole incident to bring me down?"

"Well, that question answers itself, doesn't it . . ."

Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It calmed her down somewhat, but she found it difficult to abandon her emotions just like that. Once she got going, she was a mental juggernaut.

"Elkay, I can't live like this. I've tried everything I can to please you, and it's just not working."

"I can see that."

"That's why I'm giving up. I give up on you and I give up on our relationship. You clearly have no interest in being my friend."

"Clearly."

"So I'm leaving."

"Okay."

"Right now."

"Have fun."

Claire began to trot away, but turned around in less than a second.

"Why don't you like me?"

Elkay shrugged.

"You're a terrible person."

"How?!"

"You killed Ellie."

"I didn't kill her, and you've killed people before!"

"You caused a genocide."

"By accident! And I've heard you endorse genocide for various people!"

"The Greek aren't people. And let's not forget that you almost castrated your father."

Suddenly, Horatius stuck his head through the office window.

"If you need a comeback, Claire, I can tell you about the time when-"

Elkay pushed him away. He disappeared, and Claire heard a loud thump.

"Ow . . ."

Elkay slammed the window shut, then snaked her neck to look at Claire with piercing eyes.

"Listen, cow-girl, you're not as innocent as you pretend to be. I'll bet the only reason you act so confident is because you're scared shitless!"

"That's partly true, but I suspect you're projecting."

"Well, little miss perfect, why don't we have a writing contest?"

After a moment, Claire blinked.

"That's your proposed solution?"

"Yes."

"It sounds like a gimmick."

"It is. Threetwoonego!"

She slithered out the window (smashing it in the process) and flew away, cackling maniacally. Claire sighed. As she sat down in front of her computer, a yellow paw grabbed the windowsill, and Horatius peeked into the office, one frame of his glasses badly cracked from the fall.

"I think she saw me as she was leaving but didn't want to ruin her dramatic exit. Can you call the hospital? I might have a concussion."

Claire glanced at the phone hesitantly.

"Do dragons even GET concussions? . . ."

He cocked his head.

"I don't really know."

They stared at each other. Finally, Claire cracked her knuckles, or whatever passed for knuckles in her anatomy.

"Well, I'd better start writing."

"Sounds good," Horatius replied, wiping blood from his nostril.

***TSFEW***

Vic Hoskins was the happiest man on Isla Nublar. Ever since Claire brought back his wife and children, not a day went by that he wasn't grateful for their safe return. Of course, he had always considered himself lucky to have a family in the first place, but after the latest crisis, he was even happier than before. Although he had been dead for the majority of the incident, he had experienced horrific loss, and he hoped he'd never have to go through that again.

Of course, the youngest of the yellow dragons was flying towards him at the moment, which was never a good sign. Then again, she didn't seem to have much of a quarrel with him specifically, which meant that in all likelihood, he had nothing to worry about.

Elkay landed in front of him, parting the grass with her wingbeats, and smiled in a way that exposed her gleaming teeth.

"I brought you a surprise, Vic!"

He beamed.

"Oh, that's wonderful!"

The way Elkay laughed made his tail curl instinctively.

"Oh, Vic. It's not THAT kind of surprise . . ."

She unfolded her wings to reveal a passenger on her back. For a moment, Vic thought his heart might stop beating entirely. The woman was old, much older than Vic in his de-ageified state, and-

"Let's not beat around the bush by building this up too much," Elkay said abruptly, "Nobody's here for the narration, and besides, we did the same thing with Claire's father last chapter. So let's just say who it is. It's Mabel. Mabel Hoskins. Your ex-wife."

Vic was petrified. He stood with a pained expression that would only be replicable if he were to somehow crap out a cinder block. His exposed teeth chattered without touching, and he turned his head to the woman like a broken animatronic. She threw her cigar at him, and it bounced off his dome. He did not move.

"So you're a dinosaur now, you stupid son of a bitch? Figures. You prob'ly got bit by one an' changed, right?"

Elkay snickered.

"He got bit alright, but he didn't change into the kind that attacked him."

"So them dinosaurs bite, then?"

"Some. I don't think they're infectious, otherwise Owen would be a Claire-wolf by now."

From a distant hill on the horizon, a Troödon shouted at them.

"The PMR is only activated after death or through a concentrated injection!"

Elkay whipped her head around.

"But it's always evolving!"

"Actually, it's remained consistent since the first iteration, the exceptions being special cases where magic was involved!"

"Well, I can just change the rules to be right, can't I?!"

"That would be more work for me!"

"Yeah, but I don't care!"

"When are you going to pay me?!"

"I'll get to it once I'm done with-"

She noticed that Vic was lying unconscious in the grass.

"Vic? . . . Uh, Vic? . . ."

His leg twitched. Elkay shrugged.

"Alright, then. We'd better get you into that tree-house of yours. How does that thing grow on a western island, anyway? This isn't Madagascar . . ."

"The Sagole Baobab is actually one of the species not commonly associated with Madagascar-"

Elkay grabbed a rock and threw it at the Troödon on the hill. After a few seconds of air travel, it conked him on the head. As he fell over, Elkay grumbled irritably.

"That's, like, the second time he's shown up this month. I guess that makes him recurring. Let's hope the same thing doesn't happen with Pablo."

She waited.

"I said, I hope the same thing doesn't happen with Pablo . . ."

She looked around, then batted her eyes.

"Oh, right. Pablo died."

Mabel extinguished her second cigar on the dragon's scales.

"We going in or what?"

Elkay sighed.

"Fine. I wonder what Claire's up to . . ."

***TSFEW***

Claire finished her notes just as Owen entered the room. He shot her a smile as he closed the door behind him.

"Ready to go for a bike ride?"

Claire shook her head.

"Sorry, you'll have to accept a rain check on that one. I'm very busy."

"With queen stuff?"

"No, I'm having a writing competition with Elkay. I'm going to tell the story of Tammy-Lynn's departure. Take a look at this."

She held up her notes.

"It'll start with our lunch date together when she told me she was going to leave Tennessee and become a Hollywood actress, and how I was supportive of her even though she was my only human friend in the Jurassic World. Then there will be conflict when I talk about how I tried to convince her to stay through subtle hints- in retrospect, they were kind of blatant. Anyway, then I'll show that arc where I realized I wanted what was best for her, even if it meant that I'd be lonely forever. Then I'll write about our teary goodbye and finish with our Skype call a week later, when we both pretended to be doing fine but I was lonely and she hadn't found work and we broke down and told each other the truth. I'll wrap the whole thing up with our promise to stay friends, and everyone will be happy."

"You and Tammy-Lynn, you mean?"

"No, the readers."

"Oh."

Claire swung her tail suspiciously.

"What do you mean, 'Oh'?"

"Nothing. It's just . . . When was the last time you saw Tammy-Lynn?"

Claire rubbed her chin.

"Um, let me think . . . Well, we had that dinner with her to celebrate my new job on Isla Nublar . . . and I sent her an email on her birthday . . ."

She gave a guilty rumble and covered her face.

"Oh, I'm a terrible friend, aren't I? I haven't spoken to her since I became Queen!"

Owen smiled and scratched behind her nostril.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Claire. You've been busy, and-"

Suddenly, she grabbed him by the collar.

"THAT MAKES IT EVEN WORSE! IT'S JUST LIKE BEFORE, WITH KAREN!"

She pulled on her eyelids.

"OH MY GOD, I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO KAREN EITHER!"

"Well, that's okay, honey. You can always- GAH!"

She dragged him towards the door.

"What was I thinking?! This is completely unacceptable! I have to look out for the people I love!"

"Cl-re, y-r ch-king mur . . ."

She swung him over her shoulder, knocking what little air was left in his gut out of him.

"Come on, Owen! We're going to make up for lost time!"

As she opened the door, her notes fluttered out from behind her horn. She looked down at them dolefully.

"I suppose I'm going to lose the contest. But that's not important. I should be focusing on my friends and family. Still, I wonder how Elkay's story is turning out . . ."

***TSFEW***

Much to Vic's chagrin, his children seemed to take a fierce interest in Mabel. They didn't question her role as Vic's former wife, fortunately, but their incessant prying was almost as damaging. They inspected Mabel's deformed arm with sparkling eyes.

"Whoah, what kind of dinosaur did that?" Mo wondered.

"Wa'an't no dinosaur, hon. That there's a wolf bite."

"Cool!"

Don made one of his happy-noises in response. Mabel snorted.

"What's-a matter with him? He tardy or something?"

Vic swished his tail in warning.

"Don't talk about my kids that way."

"What's the difference? You prob'ly don't evun wan'em."

Vic placed his paws over his children's ears, knocking their heads together.

"Don't listen to her, kids. She's crazy."

"Not as crazy as you . . ."

"Mabel, I'm warning you . . ."

"Ha! Lot of good that will do! Now that we ain't married no more, I can tell everyone 'bout how you hit me."

From across the room, Zara gave an almost imperceptible jump, then continued to stir the spaghetti sauce, perhaps a little faster than before. Vic gave her a side glance, then gulped and turned back to Mabel.

"I'm not going to hit you . . ."

"Oh, you don't fool me none, Vic. I may be old, but I remember what you done to me, and the way it always happened. This is how it starts, see. You get all calmlike, then BAM! Right in the eye."

Vic noticed his children looking up at him with concern, and let them slip from his arms. He took a deep breath as they crept to their rooms.

"Mabel, whatever happened in the past is long over. I know that doesn't make it right, and I'm very sorry you had to go through that, but we're both different people now."

She narrowed her eyes.

"People don't change, Vic. I remember what you done . . . I remember what you done . . ."

Zara slid over cautiously.

"Maybe we can talk this through," she suggested, "I'm well aware that Vic had a troubled past, but he's a different man now, and I'm sure he's willing to apologize for hitting you."

Vic felt his heart melt with relief. Why did he ever doubt Zara? She was the most loyal wife he could have asked for. He should know that by now.

Mabel crossed her arms.

"Well, I guess I could hear him out if he's willing to apologize for the times he hit me . . ."

Zara's eyes fluttered.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'times', plural?"

Uh-oh.

"Oh, yeah," Mabel grumbled, lighting another cigar, "Vic's come at me many times, and I fought back, believe you me!"

Zara's voice remained pleasant, but this scared Vic even more.

"How many times would you say he hit you, exactly?"

"Oh, it's hard to keep track. Maybe five or six times, but that's when it got real serious. Left me with a black eye once. Wait, we including punches or just slaps?"

"Well, why don't you tell me everything."

Mabel hummed.

"That might take a while. But I suppose we got all evening, so if you wanna hear about the time he used the iron-"

Suddenly, Vic bolted for the door. Zara blocked his way with her tail.

"Stay. We're discussing this like adults, Vic. No need to panic. I don't want to repeat what happened the last time you ran away . . ."

He squeaked.

"Can't I just wait outside?"

"Are you going to make me do this alone?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat and lowered himself onto the couch shakily.

"I'll stay."

Zara gave a curt nod.

"Good. Now, Mabel, what were you saying about a hot iron? . . ."

***TSFEW***

When Elkay met up with Claire, she seemed to be partaking in some kind of satanic ritual. She was sitting in a ring of mobile devices, which cast a bright glow on her scales like demonic, white-blue fire. She smiled as the dragon entered.

"Good evening, Elkay. I've decided to reconnect with all of my friends and family members at once via FaceTime."

Elkay raised her eyebrows.

"That's a relief. I thought you were about to twist your head around and start chanting 'Gge Retsae' while vomiting green liquid."

Claire laughed.

"Well, that's not the case, I promise. As you can see, I'm kind of busy right now. Tracy and the others deserve my full attention."

"I understand your predicament- Nice callback, by the way- but let's say I accidentally tore at the fine thread of a sacred canonical marriage?"

Claire went rigid.

"What? . . ."

"Well, I kinda brought back Vic's elderly, abused wife who has an accent now for some reason-"

Claire was already out the door.

***TSFEW***

"So he made me put on all this makeup to hide it because we had to go to church the next day. First time he ever bought me something fancy."

"Did anyone notice?"

"Of course they did, but you keep that stuff private, see."

"Well, I don't think that's very helpful. If someone had intervened, you could have gotten out of your situation sooner."

Mabel tapped her cigar on Vic's dolphin-shaped candy dish.

"Yeah, well it's too late for that, I guess."

Zara turned to Vic.

"Anything you want to add?"

He whimpered. Zara nodded gently.

"Alright. Well, Mabel, I think I've heard quite enough. It's getting close to the kids' bedtimes, and we have to send them to school tomorrow. Ring us up if you need anything."

"A new arm would be nice."

"Actually, they have those. Ask the dragons."

"I don't trust nothing that breathes fire."

"I suppose the irony is lost on you," Zara remarked as Mabel exhaled a cloud of smoke, "In any case, it was lovely meeting you. Ta ta!"

As Mabel made her way to the door, she bumped up against Vic's shoulder aggressively.

"Just had to marry a Brit, didn't you? I suppose you wanted something fancier than an old bag like me, right?"

Vic looked down in shame.

"I don't think I ever loved you, Mabel, but I hope you find someone who does. I mean that."

"Oh yeah, plenty of people are looking to hook up with a deformed woman in her seventies. Thanks for nothing, asshole."

And she slammed the door. Vic turned to Zara with watery eyes.

"Are we getting a divorce? . . ."

"I thought you two already split up."

"No, I was talking about . . . us . . ."

She sighed.

"No, Vic. We're not getting a divorce. Lord knows, we've been through worse."

"We have? . . ."

"You got me killed, remember?"

He blinked.

"Oh . . . Oh yeah."

She smiled.

"But listen, I've almost eaten you on several occasions, so I think we're even. In any case, we love each other enough to get through this."

He sniffled gently, then waddled up to her belly to give her a hug. She wrapped her wings around him and bent her head low. He buried his face in her blubber.

"You know I'd never hurt you, right? . . ."

She laughed.

"Of course not. I'll eat you long before that ever happens."

Their laughter was cut short when Claire burst through the door. She gave a little tumble, then straightened out her wings valiantly.

"I'm here to save your marriage!"

"No need," Zara said quickly, "We have it all sorted out."

Claire's face fell.

"Really? . . ."

Elkay dipped her head through the door.

"Yeah, Claire, can't you see they're perfectly fine? Geez, what kind of a Queen tampers with the union of her fr-"

"We're not falling for your tricks either," Zara said flatly, "We've had a long day, and we'd appreciate some privacy for the remainder of the evening."

Elkay flattened her ears, but Claire gulped and backed out of the house.

"Okay . . . See you guys later . . ."

She sat on the welcome mat with a pensive expression as Elkay closed the door using her tail. The dragon looked out at the setting sun with confusion.

"Wasn't it night a few minutes ago?"

"Maybe . . ."

"Hm. So, what's next?"

Claire sighed.

"I don't know. I suppose they'll talk about it some more and-"

"No, I mean for the story."

Claire growled.

"Is that all you ever think about?!"

Elkay sucked air through her teeth.

"Yes? . . ."

Claire rolled her eyes and marched down the hill.

"Goodbye, Elkay . . ."

The dragon pricked her ears.

"Hey! That's no way to end a chapter!"

Claire didn't stop. Elkay grumbled with frustration.

"Bitch. Well, if she's not going to cooperate, I'll just have to end on a joke. What do you call a drunk dinosaur? A Stagger-ceratops! . . . Yeah, I didn't think it was funny either."

On a distant hill, a barely-conscious Troödon raised his paw.

"I kind of liked it . . ."

"SHUT UP!"


	30. Elkay Tiamat's Almost Day Off

Every few minutes, Claire would bound up to the front window, tail wagging, then moo sadly when she saw no sign of a car driving down the road. Owen observed her repetitive behavior, and on her fifth round, he finally decided to put down his newspaper and intervene.

"You know, we'll probably hear her car coming when it's close."

Claire whined.

"I keep thinking I hear it, but it's just the wind or something."

"Psychosis?"

Claire frowned.

"I'm just excited. It's been ages since I talked to Tammy-Lynn face-to-face."

"I know. We discussed this."

"Mhm . . . Thank god the dragon's on vacation right now, or she'd be furious with us."

"Why's that?"

Claire shrugged dismissively.

"Oh, you know: she has a thing about repeated phrases that sound like exposition, even if they make sense in the context of what we're naturally talking about."

"Right. You sure she's not going to bother us?"

"I don't think so. I have no doubt that she could pop up immediately despite the distance between us, but if she hasn't intervened by now, odds are she's not paying attention. We'll have to wait until she gets the manuscript. Only then will we face her unhindered wrath, which is considerably better than suffering now."

"Sounds like a plan."

When the sound of crunching stones became audible, Claire perked up. Her tail wagged at full force, and she bolted for the door. Owen jogged after her when she scratched at the wood desperately.

"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!"

As soon as he opened the door, Claire charged down the road towards Tammy-Lynn's convertible. Owen gasped as she leapt through the air.

"Claire, no!"

She slammed against the hood and folded herself over the windshield, which shattered under her weight. She seemed oblivious to this fact, and began to nuzzle the startled driver lovingly.

"I missed you so much!"

Tammy-Lynn smiled awkwardly and reached out to scratch behind her horn.

"I missed you too, Claire. Could you maybe get off my car?"

Claire looked down and realized that the metal was buckling under her weight. She smiled sheepishly.

"I'll pay to have it fixed."

Tammy-Lynn gave a squeaky laugh.

"Aw, thanks! I take it as a compliment, in any case. Ain't nobody been this happy to see me. Not since I split up with John . . ."

Claire gasped loudly.

"You broke up with John?"

Tammy-Lynn nodded sadly.

"He dumped me. Said I'm too small town for him."

Claire slammed her feet against the hood, making Tammy-Lynn flinch.

"Asshole! When I'm through with him, he'll wish he'd never been born!"

Owen jogged up to the car.

"Claire, I know you don't mean that, but it might be best to avoid saying those things now that you're Queen."

She rolled her eyes.

"Relax, Owen. We're in private."

"What about the narration?"

"We could always turn it off."

And so they did.

***TSFEW***

Meanwhile, Elkay was sitting on a tropical beach with a pair of sunglasses perched on her snout, which (according to a greeting card she saw in a drug store once) meant that she was having a good time. The only problem was that she couldn't stop narrating. She thought there was no harm in reciting her activities in her mind- that was somewhat like thinking, which everyone did- but when she looked down, she saw her claws tapping at a glowing screen involuntarily. She yanked her paw away from the iPad and winced.

"Man, I really can't stop myself, can I? People like Claire can just sit back and enjoy their time with friends- By the way, I know she's not narrating right now, and yes, it's pissing me off, but I'm not going to butt in after that comment she made about me . . . What was I saying? Oh, right. I don't seem to have anyone to spend time with while writing. Unless you count the audience, of course, but you ain't saying nothing. I was told that this is what it's like to be an author, but I never thought readers would be so silent. I mean, it's not like you can't interact with the text. I'm pretty sure there's a section for reviews. And even if you're one of the people who bought this in print, you probably made your purchase at my giftshop, which is where I spend most of my time anyway. How hard is it to just talk to me? I mean, if I'm writing, I'll tell you to shut up, but I get bored too . . ."

She sighed and leaned back in her beach chair.

"Man, I wish I had friends. You may think I deserve solitude because I act like a dick generally, and I shun Claire specifically, but what else can I do? Even if I suddenly decided to become completely reformed, I can't undo the shit I've put people through. I guess it would be better to start acting kind now and add that little bit of goodness to the world, but I'd still be unhappy. You probably think what matters most is the needs of other people, but listen, how can I help them if I'm miserable? Take Vic, for instance. He's tormented by his past constantly, and when it resurfaces, he unintentionally hurts the people he loves. If I was full of guilt and self-hatred . . . if I decided to act on it, rather . . . I'd still be generally unhelpful. I know everyone's been rotten at some point in their life, but some of us are given the chance to wipe the slate clean, while others can't afford Windex. And what's it going to amount to, anyway? You can change yourself, but the world won't change with you, so unless you magically fix everything and everyone, you'll still be in the same shithole as before. There's no way every single person will choose to change, and not just because they think like me. The world is a barely-functioning ecosystem of beliefs and values. You're never gonna get everyone to agree one hundred percent. Sometimes, people can learn to accept different opinions without agreeing with them, but humans will usually seize the chance to fight over every insignificant detail. I mean, what does it matter what your favorite color is? I'm sure some people will hate you for liking blue, and that's the mildest of disagreements a person can have. What if you see someone eating another human being, and when you try to stop them, they say that it's within their rights to consume their peers? What if someone tells you that any life is as valuable as the other, that eating cows and pigs and the occasional deep-fried squid is no better or worse than eating a human? What if someone tells you that eating a plant is taking a life, and that you are destined to be a murderer because of biology you can't control? This world is designed to fuck you over. Not personally, but because nothing works peacefully in its current state. We are exposed to the illusion of 'getting by', but every day, there is death, violence, hatred, and other nasty things that can't be eradicated entirely. We think that simply 'existing' is proof that things can't be all that bad, but you're only on this planet because the water-creature from which you came decided to eat another little blob of life, and that fad stuck. There is no reason for brutality except for the fact that it 'just happens' because of sloppy systems, and the society in which we live depends on competition and inequality. It's never enough to 'be'. You're forced to 'be better'. And that's not always a good thing."

She rubbed the space between her eyes.

"Look, I don't mean to be pessimistic, but if I've learned one thing in my trillions of year of life, it's that once you've been bad, people won't see the good in you. Claire pinned me to the wall and broke a contract, but despite that, she didn't express any form of gratitude when I saved her from the villain of the week. I don't think she even realized how upset I was over that contract, because to her, it's just a trivial thing I made her do. But I value promises. If I can't trust Claire with a written contract, how can I be sure that anything she says is truthful? Ellie lied to me a few times, yes, but we could still depend on each other. Claire is too focused on the norm to ever accept my deviation from the commonplace, even though she's changed into a Stegoceratops. See, she can get used to silly things, but she won't accept them when they aren't forced upon her. That's why she isn't willing to let me do what suits me best. Just watch: she'll say I'm wrong because I do things differently. She's surprisingly closed-minded for a hybrid."

Elkay pulled a manuscript from behind her ear.

"Anyway, I've been chatting with you for a long time. Longer than it seems. I'd better check up on Claire to see if she's done being boring so I can go back to Isla Nublar and start writing ag-"

Her eyes went wide as she caught sight of the page. She looked from side to side, then crumpled up the paper and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Hey, remember how I said Claire won't do anything silly? I wasn't counting the impulsive decisions based on her perception of what's 'helpful' . . ."

***TSFEW***

In the Beneath, a very large, very angry bull paced back and forth, hooves clopping against the stone noisily.

"This is unacceptable! Claire Dearing has gone too far! The self-righteous bitch thinks she can get away with anything because of love and kindness and all those terrible things that have no place in my realm!"

A lioness sat beside him at a rock formation that resembled a table, tapping her claws on the surface impatiently.

"Sir, she could destroy us if she knew how. Is it any surprise that she's using her newfound powers?"

He stamped his hoof.

"Damn it, the girl needs LIMITS! She thinks that she can throw magic about willy-nilly because she has it inside her. It's a damn good thing she was never trained in the elements."

The lioness nodded.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"Take a note. Claire has twenty-five hours to restore what she stole-"

"Why twenty-five?"

"Because I hate even numbers."

"Why not twenty-three, then?"

"That'll upset her. Twenty-five sounds fairer."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Yes. If she fails to comply, bring me Claire's face on a platter, that I may burn it in the hottest fires of the Beneath and drown it in the thick oil of contempt."

". . . Her whole face?"

"Just bring her here. I'll remove the face as I see fit."

The lioness sighed.

"She'll probably give him up, you know."

"I know. The dragon is on her way."

". . . So I shouldn't go, then?"

"Probably not. You're excused."

The lioness grumbled.

"Waste of time."

***TSFEW***

Tammy-Lynn picked at her dinner nervously, trying not to think about how Claire was staring at her expectantly from behind the kitchen counter. Across the table, her unwilling date cut into his veggie burger with a steak knife. Tammy-Lynn coughed to relieve the tension, but only made it worse.

"So . . . Claire tells me you worked with her at Jurassic World."

He nodded.

"Before she changed me into a monster, thereby forcing me to commit suicide, and forgot the whole thing until the dragon told her about it. Yes."

Tammy-Lynn gulped.

"Must be nice to escape that death cave, though, right?"

He frowned.

"I find it interesting that Claire chose not to rescue me when she first heard of my misfortune, but rather, when her friend required a date."

Claire peeked over the counter.

"Well, I can't rescue everyone who dies, and I thought you two would be cute together."

He set down his knife.

"With all due respect, Claire, I think you have some control issues. I've been gone for decades and you still seem preoccupied with the manipulation of your peers."

She rattled her plates.

"That's not true!"

"You said you'd only de-vampirize me if I gave this girl a chance."

Claire snorted.

"Well, you should be kind enough to give her a chance anyway."

"And you should be kind enough to change me back right now, considering it's your fault I'm a vampire in the first place! I tried to spare your feelings by hiding it and taking my own life, but being undead is just dreadful!"

Tammy-Lynn poked at her salad.

"Well, I don't see nothing wrong with it . . ."

"I'm an unholy monster of hell."

They all turned with surprise when they heard a gentle chuckle coming from above. Elkay was curled up in the corner of the ceiling.

"You sound just like another you!"

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"We're gonna have to make a rule about you popping up without warning . . ."

Elkay's ear twitched.

"Claire, with all due respect, this is kind of important. The bull is furious with you for bringing James back to life. He was supposed to spend an eternity in the Beneath."

"So were you."

"Yeah, but you didn't sacrifice anything to bring James here. You just yanked him out and plopped him down in your house. As much as I'd like to see him come back and marry Tammy-Lynn, we can't just resurrect him without paying a price."

James' eyes went wide.

"Marry?!"

Elkay shrugged.

"You know, ideally. I'm not saying you have to, but it's something Claire and I would find cute and thematically appropriate."

Tammy-Lynn looked down.

"I don't think I'll ever fall in love again after my heart was broken so badly . . ."

James reached across the table and put his hand on hers.

"You'll find someone. I know it's hard, especially when someone's forcing you to move on, but you seem like a nice woman, and I'm sure you'll find the strength to trust others again."

She smiled softly.

"Thanks. For the record, I don't think Claire was entirely wrong in recommending you, but it feels like it's . . . too soon. Can I maybe have your number? . . ."

"I'll be returning to a world of endless caves soon."

". . . Do they not have phones?"

"They have vision pools, but it's five diamonds a minute . . ."

"Oh."

He took a deep breath.

"I'm sure we could arrange something else."

She picked at her nail shyly.

"I don't want to be a bother."

"You're not. Truth be told, I get lonely down there."

"Can I come and visit?"

He frowned pensively.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't sound like something that's allowed. I know there's a dinosaur that looks like Claire who chose to stay below with a soldier she loved instead of spending an eternity in a land of heavenly bliss. But I think that's permanent."

Tammy-Lynn gulped.

"I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet."

"I figured."

Elkay watched as the two of them sat in doleful silence, then took a deep breath.

"I can arrange for a weekly meeting. The bull owes me a small favor. I was gonna use it to see one of my old friends, but I don't think any of them would want to hang out."

Claire smiled.

"That's very kind of you, Elkay."

"Shut up, you patronizing cunt."

As Claire recoiled, Elkay pulled back James' chair and lifted him up gently with her tail.

"We should go now. I can bring you back to the Beneath. Saves me a trip for when I talk to the bovine bully, anyway."

"Thank you."

Tammy-Lynn stood up to see him to the porch, but was surprised by a kiss on the hand, and found she couldn't move. James smiled at her one last time, then followed the dragon out the screen door. As it slid shut magically, Owen came pattering down the stairs.

"Is he gone?"

Claire nodded.

"Gone forever, it looks like. But if things go well with Tammy-Lynn, I'll find a way to bring him back for good."

Tammy-Lynn bit her lip.

"Gee, Claire, I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I don't need no favors, 'specially when you're in a position of power. I know you care, but you don't gotta show it with stuff like that. All I need is a friend to talk to."

"Then that's what I'll do," Claire affirmed, "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable by bringing James here."

She shrugged.

"That's okay. I kinda like him."

Claire beamed slyly.

"I figured you would. We have a similar taste in men."

Owen crossed his arms. Claire noticed his displeasure and laughed awkwardly.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Owen. James is just a friend. It never got serious between us, anyway, so there's nothing to feel jealous about . . ."

She yelped as Elkay appeared in the room with a light snap. The dragon sneered.

"Well, Claire, I just dropped off James and sorted out the visitation rights, which makes two times I've saved your ass. I was gonna ask for a favor in return, but given the situation, I'll settle for the revelation of a damaging secret. Owen, Claire slept with Lowery in 2006."

Suddenly, flames burst from Claire's mouth in a furious roar, and the dragon leapt back to avoid being singed. This came as a shock to everyone in the room, including Claire. She covered her mouth quickly.

"What did I just do? . . ."

Elkay spat and wiped her mouth with the back of her paw.

"You used an elemental power. Real queens can harness all six, but you have no one to train you. Too bad."

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Do I have to use these powers to be a proper queen?"

"Only if you want people to respect you. Otherwise, you'll be a laughing stock."

Claire gave a deep rumble.

"What will it take to get you to train me?"

Elkay arched an eyebrow.

"How about a bet? If you win, you get access to my vast library of knowledge. If I win . . . Oh, I think the shame of what I have planned will be punishment enough."

Claire snarled.

"Alright. And if I win, you have to promise to be civil."

To Claire's dismay, the dragon cackled.

"That, I cannot do. It just won't work."

Playing it cool, Claire brushed off her shoulder using her tail and nodded loosely.

"Fine. I can't wait to show you how wrong you are about me."

"And I can't wait to watch you suffer."

Owen raised a finger.

"Excuse me, Claire . . . What exactly did the dragon say you did in 2006? . . ."

Claire whipped her head around.

"Shut up. You had syphilis."

"Comment withdrawn."

Tammy-Lynn glanced at each of the three arguing parties with concern.

"Hey, I'm not exactly up to speed on this situation. Can I ask what's going on?"

Elkay smiled.

"I'm glad you asked, Tammy-Lynn. Here's all you need to know: things are about to get . . . UGLY!"


	31. The Worst Animal

Claire deduced that Elkay's plan must be more complex than her previous attempts to bring her down, or it wouldn't be taking her so long to exact her revenge. The dragon barely had the patience to sit through a conversation, so considering it took until winter for her to reveal her master plan, there was definitely cause for alarm. As it turned out, the bet itself was rather simple, but the specifics of the plot were the subject of Elkay's pondering. She had been posing Owen and Claire an abundance of questions to determine what would fill the one missing element of her scheme, and when she couldn't come up with an answer craftily, she flat out explained what she had in mind.

"Claire will be an animal."

Owen and Claire exchanged a look, then turned back to the dragon.

"I don't understand what you mean," Owen admitted, clearly in the process of untangling the dragon's words as he would a shredded a document with Greek text. One of Elkay's ears folded over.

"What's to understand? I'm going to change Claire into an animal."

Owen rotated his head very slowly.

"Like a dog, or . . ."

"That's the problem. I want to change her into the worst animal. One you could never love."

Claire swished her tail with worry.

"You're not gonna melt my brain or anything, right?"

Elkay shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no. You'll have a human mind in an animal's body. Same as always. But you may not be able to speak, depending on what you become."

Owen laughed and leaned back in his chair.

"Well, even if she can't talk, she'll still be a thinking, feeling, Claire-type creature, and I can't possibly hate Claire in any form."

"That's why I need to make sure I pick the worst animal possible," Elkay insisted, "It has to be a virtually unlovable creature, one that no person in their right mind could ever find attractive. The game ends when you profess your love to Claire in her new form with complete honesty . . . or admit that you don't love her as much as you think you do."

Claire raised her head with an air of confidence.

"I accept your terms. Do you want to know why?"

"You like to gamble?"

"No. I'm positive that no matter what the circumstance, Owen will love me. Christ, I know he'd love me as a cow, a tree, and a piano, so what else IS there?"

Owen raised his finger.

"How about a pig? Pigs smell."

Elkay shook her head.

"Pigs are cute. Even the fat ones have their charm. And not that it's any of my business, but I don't need to know what you plan to do with all those nipples."

As Owen sunk back sheepishly, Claire stood up with excitement, having come up with an idea of her own.

"A snake! I get spooked by snakes."

"We're not talking about what _you're_ afraid of, Claire," Elkay scoffed, "But I suppose we could spook Owen by changing you into a spider when he's a Stegoceratops. Then again, biological spooks are irrational, so he could easily find a way to overcome it. I need something worse."

Owen tapped his fingers on the desk that separated him and Claire from the dragon.

"Naked mole rat? Aye aye? Condor?"

Elkay shook her head.

"Too familiar."

Claire raised her front foot.

"What about those seals with elephant trunks that fart all the time?"

"Like you don't do _that_ enough already," Owen muttered.

As Claire shot him a furious glare, Elkay scratched her head.

"What are those monkeys with dick-noses called?"

"A lot of things, I'm sure . . ." Owen chuckled.

"What about sharks?" Claire suggested.

"I like the marine approach," Elkay reflected, "Fish are pretty far from humans as far as looks are concerned . . ."

Claire leaned back hastily as the dragon gasped, struck with a brilliant idea. Her excited smile became a sneer, and Claire's blood turned to ice.

"I have the perfect animal," Elkay said in a low, deliberate tone of voice, "The deal is ready. Are you prepared to change, Claire?"

Owen put his hand over Claire's mouth as she began to answer.

"Hang on. This might be a trick. What if she's trying to reverse-drown you?"

"I'll put a breathing spell on her, but she won't be able to speak."

"Will she be able to move?" Owen pressed.

"You'll have to carry her over long distances, but she can wiggle around."

"You saying she's gonna be a sea-worm?" he pried.

"No. Let me pull up a photo to show you the fish I've chosen."

Elkay typed something into her phone and tapped on an image, keeping her claw over the search bar. Owen narrowed his eyes and examined the gray fish with confusion.

"That's not too bad. I mean, it's not pretty, but it's not exactly repulsive, either. You sure this is the right animal?"

Elkay snickered.

"I'm sure."

Owen cocked his head.

"Does it throw up a lot or something?"

Elkay laughed.

"Nope. No tricks. It's just a fish."

Claire was not stupid. She knew something was up. Unfortunately, she didn't get a chance to intervene before Owen gave a cocky snort and crossed his arms.

"This'll be easy. Change her."

Claire shrieked as Elkay snapped her neck outwards and bit her shoulder. Her scales began to bubble like grilled cheese, and her body wobbled out of shape and shrunk until she was the size of a large loaf of bread. Owen wasn't sure when she'd be done morphing, even when she became absolutely still. When he realized that she wasn't going to continue shape shifting, he let out a horrified cry and tugged on his hair.

"YOU MELTED HER!"

The animal sitting on the rolling chair was only vaguely fishlike. Instead of a gray, scaly body, it had a pinkish color and the texture of a slimy plastic bag filled with clumps of fat. The mouth, if it could be called that, hung down at the sides like a sad clown or racist drawing from the early days of Tintin. The chin was shiny and bumpy, like someone had coated their uncle's face with varnish after a relatively messy shave. A clump of fat hung down like a nose, only it was more of a fat oval. The eyes were two black circles that sat on either side of the head, devoid of life or emotion. Owen stared down at this monstrosity, trying not to faint, and leaned sideways on the desk, knees shaking.

"Oh, right. I forgot to tell you something," Elkay chirped, "Psychrolutes marcidus, commonly known as the blobfish, has distorted features when it's taken out of a high-pressure environment."

Owen stared down at Claire. Her mouth was beginning to secrete mucus. Elkay hummed.

"Oh, I guess she _does_ throw up, kind of. Anyway, that shouldn't be a problem, since you love her so much."

Owen hadn't moved. He was still staring at his wife with the same horrified expression as before. Elkay grinned and elbowed him playfully.

"I don't think she can smile, but I'm sure she's happy on the inside."

Using the fins tucked between folds of wobbling fat, Claire covered her eyes.

***TSFEW***

Owen carried a slimy, dripping Claire to the park, where they planned to have a short picnic the day prior. Elkay had offered to provide her with a wig, so instead of being a bald crime against nature, she was a crime against nature with synthetic Claire-hair. The near humanity of her face almost made it seem like she was nothing but a bloated head that Owen was carrying around for no good reason. He avoided having to look at her face by pointing her forward, which was reasonable since she would like to see where she was going, in theory. It wasn't so much that her body was pleasant to look at when compared to the front (she still had a pair of tiny wings on her back, which constantly reminded Owen that this creature was supposed to be the woman he loved), but he didn't want her to see his pained expression and nausea. As much as he tried not to forget that Claire's mind was still inside this moist, foul-smelling body, he couldn't help but feel that the repulsiveness of her figure was a severe turnoff. He wasn't ready to give up on her yet, however, for he vaguely remembered a time when he thought her Stegoceratops form was unbecoming of her. He could learn to love this smelly blobfish, he was sure, but he really wished she would stop oozing mucus so that it would be easier to keep himself from hurling.

Owen set Claire on the picnic blanket, and she rolled over immediately, making a deep "slorp" sound as her layers adjusted for the change in gravitational direction. She lay on her back with her fins spread to each side. She was either in a stunned panic mode or praying to some strange blobfish god. Owen wiped his hands on the grass and clenched his teeth awkwardly.

"Do you need help?"

She flipped her tail, then took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Apparently, she was simply relaxed. It was just an unfortunate happenstance that her position of rest looked like a plucked chicken that had recently landed bellyside-up on the ground.

Owen gulped and lay beside her after setting the picnic basket down, hoping they could watch the clouds instead of each other. He was filled with a deep panic when he realized that the billowing masses reminded him of Claire's new flaps and folds, and the sight of them made him feel sick to his stomach. If he was getting used to her body, his changing sentiments weren't yet detectable.

"Nice weather we're having."

He heard a sound like a bag of jello being twisted, but dared not look at what she was doing. He cleared his throat.

"I know you can't talk right now, so we can just sit quietly."

He sighed and looked up at the wild blue yonder, but then something wet touched his face, and he sat up in panic. When he turned, he saw that Claire had extended her fin lovingly. He wove his fingers together with guilt.

"Sorry. You just surprised me. Maybe warn me next time? . . ."

She pulled her fin back towards her body cautiously.

"I know you can't talk, but I'm sure you can make a noise of some kind to let me know."

Claire's upper half lifted, opening her mouth by consequence. She made a sound like a seagull trying to hit a low note far beyond its vocal range. More mucus spilled out from her lips. Owen coughed to conceal the fact that he was dry-heaving and placed his hand on her wig to close her mouth as tenderly as possible while still being somewhat forceful.

"Okay, maybe just tap it out in morse code."

Claire stared at him for a moment. When her head began to sink down in shame, he forced a smile and stroked her back, pretending he was touching a dolphin in a fat-suit.

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we bike around the island for a bit? Once we're done, we can go straight to the restaurant for our date. How does that sound?"

A yellow-green gel began to seep from the corner of her mouth. Owen wiped it away hurriedly with the corner of the picnic blanket and scooped her up in his arms, holding her like a baby.

"Come on. Let's go."

He winced as she placed her fin on his chest suggestively. Her wig slipped off her head, landing with a dry slap, and he threw up in his mouth a little.

***TSFEW***

Claire was not very helpful on their bicycle built for two. She sat on the back seat, smearing it with thick fluids, and let the wind blow in her face, stretching it back a few inches in the process. Owen pedaled onwards in a hurry, attempting to speed past the dinosaurs that gave him questioning looks as he glided down the road. They must think he was planning to fry her up or something. Maybe they suspected the two of them were in a relationship, which would be worse- Wait, no. That wouldn't be worse because it was the truth. Well, maybe they wouldn't realize who she was and would assume he was having an affair. That was his biggest fear. Clearly, he wasn't subconsciously thinking about the shame of being in a loving relationship with a hideous pile of flesh. He was just thinking about it a lot because that's what other people would do in his place. But not him. Nope. He was okay with loving this vile, repellant . . . hideous . . . Oh no . . .

Owen looked over his shoulder at the lump of meat on the seat behind him. She turned slightly and parted her lips. He whipped around to face the road again, feeling a cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Was this really happening? Was he actually not attracted to Claire? Worse than that, did he find her _repulsive_?

Owen's heart was galloping. He didn't want to look at his wife again, but he could feel her sitting behind him. He wanted her gone. He wanted to toss this repugnant fish into the woods and go back to the real Claire, only this _was_ the real Claire, and what did it say about his devotion if he was thrown off by her appearance alone?

For years, Claire had been terrified of losing Owen's love as a Stegoceratops, but what if her fears had been accurate, but in a different way? Maybe she just needed to be something even less human to push him over the edge.

Owen let the slope carry him the rest of the way, wondering if their relationship could possibly recover once he admitted that Elkay had been right all along.

***TSFEW***

Owen stared at the (what could laughably be called) woman sitting across from him on the edge of the table. They hadn't spoken since they ordered a meal to share, and that was over a half-hour ago. It gave him a lot of time to think, but he couldn't find the words to gently let on that their relationship was based on a lie. That was what the entire mess boiled down to, harsh as it was. Owen hated himself for not being attracted to the woman he loved. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, which was a sign of affection, he supposed, but he loved a lot of things that he could never be attracted to. There was a big difference between the lust one felt for an attractive dinosaur and the pity a person might take on the one horribly misshapen pretzel in the bag, which while unique could not be considered aesthetically pleasing. Claire was now that pretzel. This was not going to end well.

"Claire, we-"

Owen jumped as the waiter set a plate of spaghetti between them. He turned to the side awkwardly.

"Thank you."

By the time he put a napkin in his lap, Claire was wiggling towards the plate. To move faster, she began flopping up and down like a gelatinous shoehorn, then faceplanted in the spaghetti. When she backed up, a noodle was dangling from her mouth. She looked up at Owen and waited, though he wasn't sure what for. Apparently, whatever she expected didn't come to pass, because she sucked it up after a few seconds. Owen wiped the sauce off her face, trying not to touch her directly. As he dabbed her cheeks, he began his speech.

"Claire, when we made a deal with Elkay, we were confident that we could survive this."

She leaned her head against his palm lovingly, and he felt like someone had just kicked him in the gut. When he withdrew his hand, Claire cocked her head curiously, making a quiet squishing sound.

"I love you, Claire. I always will. But I don't think I can love you in the same way I do normally. Not when you look like this. It's not a bad thing, necessarily, because I love you the way you are, and the way you are is a Stegoceratops, not a blobfish."

Claire didn't move. She just sat there with that same blank expression. There was no way to tell what she was feeling, so it was possible that she was okay with his revelation. Maybe.

"You're the most amazing woman I've ever met," he continued, "Nothing will change that. But other things change. I mean, imagine if _I_ looked like a blobfish. I wouldn't have my hair, my face, my body . . ."

Still no movement from Claire.

"I think we can both appreciate the fact that we're most attracted to each other in our natural states- Well, you didn't start out as a Stegoceratops, but that's what you're meant to be regardless, and I forget you used to be human more often than I care to admit. Anyway, sometimes things get to be too much, you know? And do you really need elemental training from Elkay? I'm sure you could figure it out on your own, so we stand to lose nothing from this d-"

His heart skipped a beat when he noticed a single tear sliding down her cheek. He reached out and touched her side, heart thumping like crazy.

"Claire, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You're not ug- I mean . . ."

She continued to sit in silence. Owen pushed their spaghetti to the side and slid her across the gap between them.

"Blobfishes may be ugly, but you're no blobfish, Claire. You're a Stegoceratops, and I love you. I love _everything_ about you. You're _incredibly_ attractive. I mean that. You shouldn't be ashamed because Elkay made you u- made you this way. This isn't _you_."

Claire reached out and stuck a napkin to her fin. With a bit of flapping, she managed to cover her face. Owen lifted the cloth with his index finger and peeked at her exposed nose-thing.

"Come on, don't be that way."

She made a gurgling sound. Owen ran his hand down her back.

"Look, I know you're having some confidence issues, but you have no reason to be ashamed. You're not ug- Well, you know. I told you already."

She shook her head by thrashing back and forth. Owen frowned sadly.

"No, what?"

She flapped her fin.

"Well, blobfish are considered ugly, yes, but you're not a blobfish, and you have a great personality."

She rolled onto her side and made the same guttural groan as before. Owen reached around her slimy midsection and held her in his arms.

"If you want to know the truth, it's not that bad."

She stared up at him with her neutral blobfish gaze. He shrugged.

"I mean, I can see why people might think you're ug- I mean- Yeah, okay, you're pretty ugly."

She started to roll out of his arms, but he squeezed her tightly.

"BUT! But . . . in many ways, you're beautiful. Not just on the inside. I can find good things about your appearance, even when you're a blobfish. For instance, people would die to have thick lips like yours. That's why they inject themselves with jelly . . . or however that works . . ."

She cocked her head. Owen ran the back of his fingers down her cheek.

"Furthermore, you're a very attractive shade of pink. And your skin glistens like a pearl."

A glob of fluid dripped off her tail. Owen smiled and pinched her fin between his fingers.

"You have decorative limbs. They're like tassels. You're just a big pillow, come to think of it. Very cuddly."

Her mouth twitched a little. Owen leaned closer.

"I could fall into your deep, dark eyes. I know what you're feeling. You don't even have to move your face."

But her face _did_ move. Slowly, with great dedication and effort, her sad clown mouth curved upwards into a thick-lipped smile. Owen smiled back, then slid his hand behind her head and pressed his lips against hers. He didn't even realize he was doing it, at first. It came so naturally. Gradually, their embrace became more passionate, until Owen's eyes flicked open with incredulity.

"Oh my god . . ."

He didn't mean it in a bad way. In fact, he felt really, really good. He held Claire against his chest as she began to drip some more.

"God, this is impulsive, but do you wanna go back to the hotel? I think we have more important things to do than sit here and eat."

She nodded, batting him playfully with her fin. He kissed her head and made three spaghetti-related puns in his following sentence, which was too suggestive for publication. He ran out of the restaurant, holding Claire against his chest, and made his way to somewhere more private.

***TSFEW***

"So the man says 'That's not a rainbow horse! Where are my overalls?' and the penguin slaps him on the ear and asks for his radio back!"

Elkay laughed at her own joke, much to the displeasure of the Troödon sitting beside her in her office.

"God, that one's funny!" Elkay wheezed, "I know it sounds like one of those gags with an outrageous punchline that when widowed from the setup serves as a confusing scene transition, but it makes so much sense with the first half."

The Troödon nodded unenthusiastically.

"That's nice. What are Claire and Owen up to?"

Elkay snorted as she opened her iPad cover.

"Probably about to get a divorce. Last time I checked, they were in the middle of a very awkward conversation. I don't think they'll ever recover from- GAH!"

When she spied the wall of text that had appeared while she wasn't looking, she threw her device across the room so hard that it crashed into the wall and caught fire. She covered her mouth, turning slightly green.

"That is the most repulsive thing I've ever read! I think she must have confused 'blobfish' with 'blowfish'."

The Troödon crossed the room and extinguished the flames with his tailfeathers.

"I dunno. I think it's kind of cute. I'd like to believe that love can be reignited even after one party goes through a change in species."

Elkay rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but she's a disgusting creature."

"Blobfish aren't that disgusting."

"I wasn't talking about blobfish."

The Troödon twisted his mouth and began to sweep away the ashes.

"Nice to see that you care so much. The only thing worse than insulting an innocent person would be forgetting someone's name when you were the one to introduce it in the first place, theoretically."

"Don't be petty," Elkay snapped, stepping over him to pour herself a drink.

"I'm just being honest," the dinosaur replied with a shrug.

"You're wrong, you know," she grumbled, waving her glass for emphasis.

"Am I?"

After taking a sip of chocolate milk, she nodded.

"You're absolutely wrong, Terrence!"

"Not even close."

Elkay sighed and curled up on the floor.

"Whatever. I have bigger problems. I gotta teach Claire how to be a queen now."

"I can help you."

She sighed.

"It could take years. How long is your lifespan, anyway?"

"As long as you need it to be."

She laughed.

"I like your attitude. Maybe I'll re-learn your name after all!"

"It's okay. I'm sure you already know it."

"I literally forgot thirty seconds ago."

"In a way, yes."

She quirked a brow.

"What a strange way to reply. Anyway, I have to close up the office soon. Gotta change Claire back and begin our boring, boring training session."

"How boring are we talking?"

Elkay shrugged.

"Boring enough to skip it entirely, narratively speaking."

Chris hopped up on her desk.

"See you in a few years, then."

He made a running leap for the window. Elkay raised a claw.

"You know there's gl-"

 _BANG_!

"Nevermind."


	32. The Moon

Claire's training lasted two years, on and off. With each new elemental power she gained, she grew more confident, and would return to her family with pride and a sense of accomplishment greater than she'd felt in her entire career. Even Ellie hadn't gone through full training, having been the student of Elkay's now deceased son who was forced to beforehand teach himself due to his mother's negligence, but learning directly from Elkay was another matter. She taught Claire without bias, though by all means she hadn't softened up too much since Ellie's death. Regardless, she was getting easier to be around, even if she sometimes appeared to be inconsistent. During one attack on Asterpara, for instance, Elkay had been in the process of choking Claire for politically convoluted reasons, and upon Claire's retaliation, uttered the phrase: "Wait . . . we're not friends? . . ."

Claire would never truly understand the dragon, she decided, but she believed that despite the constant verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse she was put through, on some level, Elkay was fiercely devoted to her, and would be lost if she were to disappear like Ellie had. A great deal of Asterparans seemed to have complex relationships, actually. The Bull in the Beneath was keen to form a kind of supervillain rivalry with Claire, though she'd rather they just keep to themselves instead of forcing love-hate competitiveness. It was hard enough being a Queen without his constant interference.

The problem with Asterparan politics was the hybridization (ha, ha) of two very different systems of government. A Queen was the ruler of all because of divine selection, but could be replaced by anyone at any time. In her darkest years, Elkay had remained Queen, so Claire had to wonder just how much The Star actually cared to intervene. Supposedly, Elkay had had a part in choosing Ellie, and given the fact that Claire belonged to the same franchise, there was something questionable about the appointment system. Things got even more convoluted when Lily took it upon herself to prove her worth by altering a branch of Fiction (Elkay encouraged her to do so, actually), and ended up sprouting a set of wings that, while smaller than Claire's, were still an indication that she would be next in line. At first, Claire didn't even think about what this meant politically, because while she had been practicing her magic on Pallasmaa, her baby girl had died temporarily, and that thought horrified her. Then again, Lily was growing up, and she had come back with a divine gift, so that gave Claire a little more confidence.

All this didn't stop her from scolding Elkay, of course. She had no qualms with calling her out, though she suspected she enjoyed conflict on some level, thus she would only be making it worse in addressing the problem. Then again, it was hard to make Elkay's habits "worse", per se, since over the years, she seemed to be ruthlessly exploring the various ecosystems of "rock bottom".

Claire came to her one night as she lay by a pool in the jungle, staring down at her reflection in what Claire originally believed to be a pop cultural reference, but turned out to be a bout of existential despair. She turned to Claire sadly and whispered "Why is it that you can be loved by Owen as any animal, but I can't get anyone to stay with me when I'm myself from beginning to end?". Claire didn't know how to answer that, not even when she had been asked nearly the same question once before, but she suspected Elkay wouldn't believe her if she tried to justify her words of comfort. As the dragon turned away, Claire approached her and eventually sat by her side, and they spoke for a while. Elkay reflected on the fact that her old friends and lovers had died or moved on, and though she considered the people she surrounded herself with to be her friends as well, she felt there would always be a barrier between them, and she would never truly relate to another sentient being.

Despite this revelation, the dragon would often follow up her brief flickers of humanity with cold and hurtful remarks, which seemed just a little harsher than usual to compensate for her sincerity. Claire learned the hard way that nothing seemed to help this situation, so she decided to ignore the dragon's remarks or brush them off, as she was doing currently.

"Hey, fatty!"

Claire flinched, and immediately regretted allowing herself to have a reaction of any kind.

"You're a big fatty, fatty Stegoceratops, did you know that?"

She rolled her eyes.

"You know, I actually looked it up, and we weigh the same amount when considering the difference in species."

Elkay folded her ears.

"I thought I destroyed the giant Google machine."

"When?"

"I don't know. It's hard to keep track. Speaking of exposition, how does Owen feel about your constant business trips?"

Claire turned to face the dragon.

"You know, when you point out things like how you're just spouting exposition, it doesn't make you a better writer. Self-awareness is not the same as cleverness."

"So if I point out how you're doing the exact same thing right now, would _that_ be clever?"

"Maybe instead of pointing out what's wrong with what you write, you should fix the text before publication so you don't have any lazy plot devices in the first place."

"What, like someone interrupting my conversation when it's clearly not going anywh-"

Suddenly, Lily fell out of the sky, nearly knocking Elkay's head off. Claire gasped and ran over to her daughter, who groaned as she began to stand up.

"Lily! Are you hurt?!"

She rubbed her head.

"Naw, I'm fine. I think these wings made me sturdier. Didn't give me flight-instincts, though."

Elkay skittered to her feet and let her forked tongue dart out of her mouth briefly.

"According to The Star, you're immortal now, same as Claire. You're not invincible, however. Being immortal doesn't mean you'll live forever, which is kind of counterintuitive, I know, but that's just the way it is. On the bright side, you may get yourself killed before having to watch your friends and family die around you. Speaking of which, are you and Liam still splitsville?"

Lily's wings trembled as she mooed furiously.

"Why do you keep asking that? And why do you keep asking it in the same exact words?"

Elkay raised a claw.

"I won't risk an incoherent story. A new chapter could begin at any moment, so I need to exposit this shit to make sure nobody's left behind."

Claire growled.

"We talked about this . . ."

Before she could get too angry, Lily sighed and tugged on her ankle using her tail.

"Come on, Mom. It's not worth it. Her whole family turned on us for no good reason. They're just immature brats."

Elkay smirked.

"Alan didn't. Clover didn't. Charlie didn't. Seems like Liam's the only one, aside from me. Maybe him dumping you was symptomatic of something other than your mom murdering his mom."

Elkay yapped as Claire leapt forward and swiped at her with her tail.

"Enough! I'm not putting up with another second of this nonsense! Elkay, one more word out of you today, and I might consider going darkwings, myself!"

The dragon's ears drooped.

"Do you mean that?"

"Don't pretend to be some pitiful victim. You're not the only one who suffered because of what happened to Ellie. Besides, you were the one who created those snake-monsters in the first place."

Elkay flattened her ears.

"I don't _create_ evil. If a person is driven to evil, it was within them all along."

Claire huffed.

"Number one, you just admitted that Ellie was capable of evil. Number two, you invalidated multiple instances where you insisted that you're only messed up because of other people."

"You think you're so smart, Claire, but you're a fraud. A fatty-fatty-fraud-face."

"Alright. Goodbye."

That was as close as either of them could come to winning the argument. It was lucky that no one had managed to bring up a new sensitive spot, or things would have gone downhill fast.

Elkay smiled.

"Hey, Claire. Now that you and Lily are immortal, what's going to happen to Owen?"

Shit.

Claire took a deep breath.

"I'll find a spell to keep him alive. Charlie, too."

"That's not what I meant. Owen feeds off your dependence. One of his biggest fears is losing you, and the most hurtful way that could happen is if you become his superior. Things will come full circle."

She started grinding her teeth.

"No, they won't. You can't ruin my marriage with words."

"Fine. Then I suppose it wouldn't add any extra stress if I told you your father is dying of cancer right now."

Double shit.

***TSFEW***

The dragon had been known to lie about important topics before, but it turned out that Claire's father was genuinely on his last leg. She flew to the hospital where he was being treated, and when she made her situation known, the nurses led her to his room. When she first entered, she thought she was gazing at the wrong patient. He looked nothing like her father, especially not the one she'd seen only a few years ago. The more she stared, however, the more she recognized his features, though it was hard to pick them out when his general visage was so sallow and veiny. The sight of him lying so helplessly made her blood turn to ice. It felt wrong seeing her father splayed out on a hospital bed, struggling to take each breath. As much as she hated his constant smirk, she would prefer it to what she was seeing right now. Subjecting herself to his disdain was commonplace, but this was proof of his mortality. He had been a constant in her life, negatively or otherwise, and seeing him on the verge of death made her feel like an infant. Strange as it seemed, she had never imagined that her father would die. She was aware that many children (and adults) went through a stage of denial- Hell, she did the same when her mother passed- but her father seemed impervious to the maladies of the human race. Claire had always been confident that she would never be free of her father's influence. She resented his presence, but now, she was completely unequipped to deal with his departure.

She realized that she had been standing in the doorway for quite some time, and moved towards his bed. When she drew near, his head tilted towards her, almost imperceptibly, and he gazed at her horns and frill with unfocused eyes. She wasn't sure he could see her clearly through his droopy eyelids. His lips parted, but he couldn't manage more than a breath. Finally, he wheezed a simple sentence.

"I forgot."

It took her a moment to realize what he meant by that, but after looking herself over briefly, the penny dropped. Her father closed his eyes, then opened them again a few seconds later. This was meant to be a blink.

"So this is a forever thing."

He said it very slowly. Claire tilted her head, trying not to show any emotion, though she wasn't sure what she would reveal if she did.

"Yes, Dad. I'm going to stay this way."

"It will be forever?"

"I'm not changing back."

He made a pained noise.

"No, I mean . . . you won't die."

Claire considered this.

"I'm . . . I'm immortal, but I'll probably die someday. You can't escape death forever."

"Oh."

There was a long silence.

"Claire . . . You've been to the other side."

She took a deliberate breath.

"Yes. I died, and then I came back."

"What's . . . waiting for me?"

The corners of Claire's mouth twitched as she struggled to come up with an honest answer.

"I don't know. What happened to me was . . . special. I don't know how it works for normal people."

"Will I see your mother?"

Claire's mouth hung open. She tried to process what had been said, then wondered if there was something nefarious about his question, but was proven wrong when he elaborated.

"Wherever your mother is, I don't think it's the same place I'm going. If you ever see her again, can you bring her a message?"

Claire batted her eyes.

"I don't- I don't know . . ."

"I can ask Karen, if it's easier . . ."

Claire scuffed her toes on the floor.

"What makes you think Karen and I will see Mom?"

He laughed, but it was more of a cough near the end. Claire wrapped her tail around her front legs.

"What's your message?"

He licked his lips and turned away.

"It's embarrassing . . ."

Claire frowned.

"Dad, I can't give her the message if I don't know what it is."

" . . . Tell her I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For . . . She'll know. Just tell her."

"That's still kind of ambiguous."

"For everything, then! Tell her I'm sorry for goddamn everything!"

Claire pulled her head back a little, then exhaled.

"That won't change what you've done. It won't change what's going to happen to you."

"I know! I'm not stupid!"

He broke into a fit of coughing, then stared at the ceiling.

"Claire, honey, I should have been more understanding."

"Why? Because I have the power to save you now?"

"Yes. I mean, in general, it would have been nobler to be a good father, but I won't lie to you. I never thought I'd be in a position where you had the upper hand. I guess I underestimated your abilities."

Claire frowned bitterly.

"I suppose that's just bad luck, huh?"

He nodded.

"Maybe."

After a brief period of silent deliberation, he took a deep breath.

"I don't suppose you could find it in your heart to-"

Claire stood up and marched out of the room. She didn't break stride, but she used her magic to stare through the wall and observe her father's reaction. Surprisingly enough, he did not seem frustrated. He appeared rather glum, which made her wonder if he might be somewhat human after all.

***TSFEW***

When Claire got home to the ranch, Owen was waiting for her at the dinner table. Rather, he had fallen asleep at some point, or at least decided to make his waiting more efficient. Charlie was in Europe on a special internship, and Lily was meeting with Elkay's grandson at Fiction headquarters at the moment, so she decided to wake him up and take advantage of their time alone. She began licking his cheek, and after groaning quietly, he opened his eyes.

"Claire?"

"I'm here."

"You're late."

"I didn't think we had plans . . ."

He rubbed his eyes.

"Nevermind. I guess you can't be late for something I never told you about."

"Were you waiting long?"

"Not really."

"Glad to hear."

"Where were you, exactly?"

Claire took a deep breath.

"I was hoping we could sidestep this, but I think it's dishonest to forget the issue entirely. My father is dying, and I'm going to let him. That's all there is to it."

Owen's eyes looked like they might pop out of his skull.

"Jesus, Claire!"

"I know, I should have told you. But I care about it less than you can ever know."

"I mean, it's a decent excuse for being late . . ."

Claire rolled onto her back and lay her head on Owen's lap. He rubbed her snout.

"I wish he had never come back into my life," she reflected, "I wish he had just stayed silent and died one day. Now I feel like a bad person for not wanting to be there helping him. Is it wrong to feel nothing even though he was a shitty father?"

"I can't judge what's right or wrong, Claire, but something tells me this is a bigger deal to you than you're admitting."

"It's only because I feel guilty for not feeling guilty."

"Now, that's not true."

"How do you know?"

He tickled her chin.

"Because I understand you better than I understand myself, and because you're not Elkay."

"I think she may have feelings, too. Maybe I'm starting to be like her. Maybe being a Queen makes you hide your feelings. Maybe it turns you into some coldhearted monster who makes decisions based on efficiency instead of human interaction."

"Claire, you've moved past that already."

For some reason, that made her heart skip a beat. She suddenly flashed back to her years at Jurassic World. She heard a fluttering sound, but she shook her head quickly.

"Owen, whatever happens happens. I've decided not to intervene. I know it sounds harsh, but can we just forget my Dad and focus on spending time together?"

"Of course. It's been a while since we had some time to ourselves."

Another red flag. Claire gulped.

"What do you mean? . . ."

Owen kissed her cheek.

"Claire, I know you worry about these things, but you have reasonable excuses for not being around. I mean, you run _everything_ now."

"But-"

"Plus, I'm too clingy."

"Clingy? . . ."

He nodded.

"If people knew what I was like, they'd have no respect for me, but I love you, so I don't care."

He reached out to hug her neck, but she pulled away and tossed her head.

"Owen. What are you talking about?"

He smiled and started rubbing her snout again.

"I love you so much, Claire. More than anyone has ever loved anyone else. I think we've objectively proven that by now."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Do you think Elkay is gonna go through every animal in the dictionary?"

"Probably. She still thinks the blobfish thing was a fluke . . . Wait, fluke is an animal, right? We haven't tried _that_ yet."

Claire snuffed and made her way to the fridge.

"Do you think it's healthy to encourage her psychological experiments?"

"Why not? We get stuff in return."

"Well, I have better things to do than just being an animal for brief periods of time. And it's just as inconvenient for you, I imagine. We still haven't gotten rid of all the tomato juice you bought."

"YOU bought it. I told you, I didn't mind the smell. It reminded me of you when you were gone."

"You have a wool sweater for that."

"The hemp one is better."

"Yeah, so you have that, plus at least five kinds of milk."

"They're all expired."

"Yuck. Dump the bottles, then."

He didn't reply. Claire closed the fridge and turned around slowly.

"Owen . . ."

He folded his fingers together anxiously.

"Claire, I . . . I know you've been working, and it's important-"

She charged across the room and wrapped him in her arms. His chair fell backwards as he dangled in her embrace.

"Owen, you're more important."

"Claire, don't put me before the entire world . . ."

"I know you'd do the same. Owen, don't drink expired milk. Just call me, and I'll be there."

He shifted uncomfortably.

"But I'm annoying."

"What? Where would you get an idea like that?"

"Well . . . I don't know. Probably the same place you get your fears of not fitting in. I mean, on-"

He choked a little, then fell silent. Claire looked into his eyes.

"Just tell me, Owen. You know it's the only way."

He winced.

"On the surface, one might look at us and realize that you're the Queen of the Universe, so your problems are much bigger. If I complain about feeling alone, I'm not taking into account the billions of people you're saving or the good you're doing in the world. It's selfish, is what it is."

Claire stared at him for a long time. He finally gulped and looked to the side.

"I thought you'd have something to say to that."

"Well, I don't think you should worry about speaking up. I mean, the fate of the world is separate from our marriage . . ."

"I know, I know, but I don't want to look needy . . . Yeah, no, you're right. I should realize by now that you love me and care what I think."

She licked his cheek repeatedly. He sighed.

"You know, I think we're destroyed by our own doubts. Not just you and me. I'm talking about mankind and shit."

"I think you mean-"

"Humankind?"

"I was gonna say dinosaurkind, but . . ."

"Yeah, so I guess we just worry about ourselves because we think other people are more judgmental than they actually are. But I mean, with you especially, you put up with all the stupid shit I say."

She buried her beak in his neck.

"Mmm. I _have_ to. It's every second sentence . . ."

"But I don't just mean _those_ things. I mean the more troublesome stuff."

She sighed.

"Okay. What are you getting at, specifically?"

"Well, it's going to sound stupid, but of all the trial run animals you've been so far, I liked tapeworm the most, because I always knew you were with me."

Claire's jaw dropped.

"Owen, you got sick! You nearly wasted away, and-"

"But you were with me, and I was happy."

Claire gazed at his twitching mouth. He looked ashamed of himself. She tried not to, but she burst out laughing.

"You're borderline pathological, but I love you all the same."

She kissed him, and they rolled over multiple times before hitting the wall. He climbed on top of her and started unbuttoning his shirt, but suddenly, there was a ringing sound. Claire batted her eyes, then made a phone appear out of thin air. She tapped the screen as Owen slid down her tail.

"Hello?"

'Claire!'

"Zara? What's wrong?"

'Well, the thing is- I mean, I assumed you knew, but I guess- I mean, you left the hospital before- but I didn't tell you because I assumed you were going to meet her there- Elkay said you were going to see your father, but the arrangement was-'

Claire stood up.

"Zara, slow down. What's going on?"

'You left the hospital too early. You never spoke with Skye.'

"What are you-"

'I'm sorry, Claire, I thought you two had arranged a meeting. Elkay specifically said that you were going to see your father and that she'd be there, but she obviously didn't mean that you were aware of-'

"Zara!"

'She's a bad communicator, Claire. I promise, it's not my fault.'

"ZARA!"

'I'm sorry . . .'

"Zara, I'm not mad. I'm just confused."

'About what?'

"Everything. Start over."

Zara took a deep breath.

'Okay, so Skye was going to meet you at the hospital-'

"There's our first problem. Who the hell is Skye?"

'Your half sister.'

Slowly, the phone slid from Claire's front foot. It clattered to the floor.

'Hello?'

Claire scooped it up with shaking arms.

"I have a half sister? . . ."

There was a pause.

'Oh. This may be more delicate than I originally thought.'

***TSFEW***

Claire rushed back to the hospital with Owen on her back. She spotted a woman with red hair smoking on the hood of a rusty car in the parking lot, and made a sudden dive. The stranger shrieked and covered her head like she was beneath the tail end of a giant seagull. When Claire landed, she held out her front foot stiffly.

"It's okay! It's okay! It's me! It's Claire!"

The woman stared at her for a few seconds, then reached for her cigarette pack to replace the stick she'd dropped in her panic. Her hands shook as she lit the wrong end.

"You're . . . my sister?"

"Half sister, yes."

Her second cigarette dropped from her mouth, but she kept the flame a few inches from her lips.

"You . . . You're not what I expected."

Owen peeked over Claire's frill.

"You haven't seen her on the news? . . . Whoah, you look just like her . . . even more than _Karen_!"

Skye frowned, then became wary when she looked down at Claire's saurian face once more.

"You . . . He said you were some kind of lizard or something, but I didn't-"

"I'm a dinosaur."

Skye looked at her wings.

"So you're one of those bird ones, right? Like in the science magazines?"

"No."

Skye stood up and positioned herself behind the car.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Please don't eat me or zap me into bits or whatever."

Claire frowned.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Here."

She changed into a human. Owen slipped from her back, but stayed by her side. Claire reached out for Skye, but when she refused to shake her hand, she stuck it in her pocket awkwardly.

"I didn't know I had a half sister. I also didn't know you were waiting to meet me. I'm sorry."

Skye nodded.

"I knew about you and Karen."

Claire laughed awkwardly.

"Any more surprise siblings?"

"No. My brother died when I was little."

Claire's friendly smile disappeared.

"Oh. Oh, God. I'm so-"

"Yeah, I know. It sucks, but that's life. Now Dad's going, too."

Claire looked down.

"Is your mother still . . . around?"

"Somewhere, I guess. Can we just cut the bullshit? I know you're trying to be nice, but if I'm gonna be interviewed by some passive aggressive fuckwad, why don't I just explain how much of a freak I am outright?"

"You-"

"Dad doesn't care about me. He got _stuck_ with me. Almost every day, he says at least one thing that makes me feel like shit, like it's my fault everything turned to crap because I had the audacity to be born. I'm one fucked up girl, so go ahead and make fun of me, but don't you dare go home and talk behind my back, because you can't hide what you're feeling. I know. I _always_ know."

Claire's mouth hung open for a few seconds.

"Okay, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot . . ."

"You think you're so much better just because you were his favorite."

Claire's eyes went wide.

"Uh . . ."

"Yeah, don't think I don't see it. You're the only one he likes, but that might only be because you can save him."

Claire bit her lip.

"I can't actually-"

"Can't? Or won't?"

Claire looked over her shoulder. Owen stared at her firmly. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. We need some time alone. I'm going to send you home, but I'll be back with you soon, I promise."

He nodded. She kissed him on the cheek, and he disappeared. When Claire turned back to face Skye, she was crying.

"Please . . . He's all I have. I know it's pathetic, but it's true."

"I think you deserve more than-"

"Well, that's easy for _you_ to say! You have a husband and a family, and I got squat! Am I just supposed to watch him die and hope that I somehow end up like you? This isn't a fairy tale, Claire. Things don't just work out when you're pretty and kind."

"To be fair, I'm usually big and scaly and-"

When Skye began to sob, Claire crept closer and gave her a rigid hug. She whimpered.

"Just do it. Just save him. What's the problem with saving your own father?"

"Well, if I go around saving everyone-"

Skye pushed her away.

"But I'm sure your husband won't get cancer, right?"

Claire felt her heart sink.

"Skye, I don't know you very well, but I don't think it's healthy to let my Dad control your life like this."

"He's MY dad too, dipshit."

Claire took a step back.

"Skye, people die. That's just the way life is."

She met Claire's gaze with a look of absolute hatred.

"I don't think 'life' is choosing who lives and who dies right now."

And that's when Claire felt something grab her shoulders. She passed out.

***TSFEW***

Around midnight, a portal opened near the cabin. Owen rushed towards it, hoping it was Claire, but instead, Elkay stepped into his world with a worried frown. He slowed to a stop.

"Have you found her?"

"Not yet. Are you sure she didn't say where she'd be?"

"She said she'd be home. That's why I'm worried."

Elkay nodded.

"Well, it might interest you to know that I have a lead. We just need to wait for my assistant to arrive, then I can- Oof!"

She grunted as a feathery dinosaur landed on her head. He lost his footing and fluttered to the ground, panting heavily.

"I'm here. Sorry I'm late. I was about to take my medication, but this is more important. What's up?"

Elkay lifted him by the tail to stand him upright.

"I've called you here because I've discovered some key information about Claire's disappearance."

"Yes?"

"We have a traitor in our midst. Someone so sly and so cunning that he pulled the wool over our eyes by using a secret identity."

A pause. Chris ruffled his feathers.

"Okay, before you say anything-"

"It's Pablo!" Elkay asserted, slapping her paw on the ground, "He faked his own death to cover his trail, but I know it was him! He's been controlling day and night, which leads me to believe he's secretly an Asterparan bat!"

"Didn't you say the same thing about Bryce Dallas Howard?"

"Yes, but this time I'm sure, and I won't have to hold him upside down for five hours to prove it!"

Chris stared at her for a long time.

"With all due respect, Elkay, I think you're wrong. There's a pattern here, and you're right about celestial bodies being affected, but I think you've missed a few clues. I've noticed some changes in the tides around Isla Nublar, and I was told that the moon has been traversing the skies in a different orbit."

"Who told you that?"

"Ironically, not Moonwatcher."

"That's not the definition of irony, but go on . . ."

Chris paced back and forth, bobbing his head.

"I suspect that whatever is happening has something to do with the moon of Jurassic World and Jurassic Park. They both seem to be affected. I asked around, but nothing seems to be happening on Earth in other dimensions. I drew a quick chart, and there didn't seem to be any connection between two moons' activity, only that they never behave oddly at the same time. Tonight, especially, they have been switching a lot, and I think I know why. Claire has been hopping dimensions frequently, yes?"

Elkay nodded.

"In the past few hours. Do you think someone has weaponized the moon to attack Claire?"

Chris twisted his mouth.

"I wasn't going to suggest something so outlandish, but it's possible."

Elkay nodded.

"Alright. Find me someone who knows a lot about the moon, and bring them to my office- Actually, which moon is acting up right now?"

"This one. In Jurassic World."

"Alright. Bring them to Owen's guest room, or maybe the living room. I think there's a Simpsons marathon tonight."

"Will do."

He gave a little salute and flew away. Elkay nodded, then turned to Owen.

"Don't worry. We'll find Claire."

He rubbed his arm.

"I don't mean to doubt you, but how does watching The Simpsons help with locating missing persons?"

Elkay laughed merrily.

"Owen, even the most random actions can be calculated by observing all the clues."

". . . in a decades-old cartoon?"

"This conspiracy runs deep, and I think it's mostly new episodes tonight. Who knows? Our mystery villain might be involved with Fox."

"As likely as that sounds, how can you be sure it's not someone we already know?"

Elkay snorted.

"All our interesting villains are dead or reformed. I highly doubt Claire was kidnapped by some second tier baddie that no one remembers . . ."

***TSFEW***

When Claire's eyes fluttered open, she saw a white room. It wasn't the hospital, she knew, because a high heeled shoe was floating by her face, suspended in the air somehow. Claire turned her head and saw her half sister strapped to a cot beside her, which probably meant she herself was in a similar position, but it was hard to tell when she was so numb all over. There were more shoes, she noticed, and it was very quiet.

When she tilted her head back, a grinning face entered her field of vision, and her heart gave a little leap. She was glad she hadn't made her fear known vocally, but something told her her captor was aware of her sentiments regardless.

"Hello, Claire."

"Hello, Doubt."

"It's nice to see you again. I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did without calling upon me."

Claire groaned.

"I understand the metaphor. I assume Elkay won't be able to kill you, this time."

Doubt shrugged.

"Oh, she could, but I'd just come back. Friends can keep me away, but only _you_ can defeat me for good."

Beside Claire, Skye was beginning to wake up. When she caught sight of Doubt, she shrieked.

"WHAT THE HELL _IS_ THAT THING?!"

"A manifestation of my insecurity," Claire said simply, "Doubt, will you at least let my sister go?"

Doubt shook its head.

"No can do. She's the one feeding me. Rather, she's helping you along. Of course, you could cure your father to make her presence useless, but I'd remain, because you would forever wonder if you could have made the decision on your own."

Skye whimpered.

"Claire, I don't know what's happening, but just do what she says."

"She's not dangerous."

"She looks like a monster."

"I've dealt with monsters of every shape and size. This isn't even the worst."

"Is this a regular thing with you?" she muttered.

"Pretty much, but this one's a little more conceptual than the others. I suspect this thematic talk isn't going to end any time soon."

Skye closed her eyes.

"Will she eat us?"

"No, she can only hurt me."

"I can hurt your friends indirectly," Doubt sneered.

"I won't let you."

"When I hurt you, you can't stop me from hurting others."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I get it. You're Doubt. You don't have to hammer it in."

Doubt laughed.

"Joke all you want, but the fact remains that I'm still here, which means you're under my control. I'll only grow stronger as time passes, and once you're drained of your queenly power, I'll destroy you."

"Won't that make you disappear too?"

"No."

"What if I use magic against you?"

"You'd be using magic against your own mind."

"So why would you remain once I'm gone?"

"Because I'll be stronger then."

"But you feed on my doubt."

"I _am_ your doubt."

"So you'd just die with me, then."

"No, because ideas live on after their creators die."

"But you're an emotion, so if you're internalized within me . . ."

***TSFEW***

Elkay dumped the remainder of her popcorn into her mouth, then shouted over her shoulder.

"What else you got in your fridge?"

Owen remained at his post near the front door, ever vigilant.

"Nothing else. You don't even _need_ to eat."

"Well, technically no, but what if I need to set things on fire?"

"How much fire do you have left?"

"Um . . . I dunno. A few months' worth?"

"You're fine, then."

She gave a sour frown, but perked up almost immediately.

"I hear wingbeats. He's back."

Owen ran out the door, and Elkay slithered after him. They were surprised to see a human man being carried down from the sky in the scrawny Troödon's talons. He set him down gently, then collapsed, panting.

"I brought . . . James . . ."

Elkay cocked her head.

"Why James?"

"He's a vampire . . . so he knows about . . . the moon."

Elkay blinked, then slowly reached up to rub the space between her eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't confuse vampires and werewolves . . ."

The Troödon looked up at her, and his eyes almost seemed to migrate apart as he realized his mistake.

"Oh . . . I should put him back. The Bull is pissed . . ."

James held out his arms in disbelief.

"You said I could see Tammy-Lynn!"

"If you helped us. I thought you knew moon things."

"That's not f-"

Chris snatched him up once more, huffing and puffing as he flapped unsteadily towards a portal he had neglected to close. On his way through, he was nearly knocked out of the air by Lily, who came barreling down like an atomic bomb.

"Where's Mom?!"

Owen reached out and gave her a hug.

"We're trying to figure that out, honey, but I promise she's gonna be okay."

Elkay batted her eyes in disbelief.

"Really? Because anything that can threaten an all-powerful deity is concern for us all," she blabbed.

Owen shot her a look, then turned back to Lily, who had begun to cry.

"It's all my fault! I was gonna go see her, but I had the meeting and I wanted to talk to Liam after . . ."

"You two back together?" Elkay pried.

"No!"

"I'll work on that."

Before anyone could say a word, she darted away. Owen went back to cradling his daughter, and though he didn't want to show his worry, he turned his eyes to the stars and began to pray.

***TSFEW***

"But if you're dependent on my inner feelings, you can't survive without me!"

"I can, because your feelings affect other people!"

"Yeah, but feelings don't literally transfer to friends once the first person dies!"

Skye covered her ears.

"Enough! You two are arguing about nothing! Let me go! My father is dying!"

Doubt turned to Claire with a sly grin.

"Her father is dying, Claire. Are you going to _do_ something about it?"

She growled.

"You're Doubt, not Guilt."

"There's overlap."

Skye thrashed around on her cot.

"Fine. You know what? I'm done. Go ahead and let Dad die, but I want to go home. This is between you and the monster."

Claire's face fell.

"Skye, our father is dying of natural causes. How would it be right to save him when there's so much death in the world already?"

"Because he's my father, first of all, and second, you have the power to save him. Hell, save everyone! Get rid of death altogether!"

"I can't."

"You _can_ , but you choose not to! How is it that there have been literal gods in this world, but they never thought to make life perfect, huh?"

"Because . . . it would be boring? . . ."

Skye wasn't impressed. Claire looked away sheepishly.

"Alright, I don't have all the answers, but I know I have to have limits. _Everyone_ does. A life without pain is also a life without joy. I mean, things can't always go right for you, or what's the point of everything?"

"My dad. Is dying. Of cancer."

"Okay, okay . . . So _some_ problems are bigger than others. Really, a Queen's job is to protect her people against monsters, wars, and anything bigger than the individual."

"Like a plague?"

"Yes, like a . . . Oh. Listen, I know cancer is big, but you're only asking me to cure one person."

"Cure all cancer."

"Doesn't count, because you weren't asking me before."

Skye glared at her. Claire shrugged.

"I'm not saying you're wrong for asking. I'd ask too, if I cared about him. But I have to draw the line somewhere, as far as special treatment is concerned."

"He's your father."

"Maybe, but he's _your_ Dad."

Skye sighed.

"Still a shitty one."

Claire smiled softly.

"Yeah, but you love him. I haven't been around, but it seems like he was at least there for you. He stayed in your life. That's more than he did for me."

"You're his favorite child."

"I wouldn't say that, based on the evidence."

She paused, then took a deep breath.

"I may be enabling him to treat you like shit, but hey, I'm Queen. I can keep an eye on him. And you know, if you ever need a sister, I'm here."

Skye met her gaze, but said nothing. Claire's eyes darted back and forth.

"Karen might be around too, but I'm not sure."

Skye hadn't blinked.

"Does this mean you're going to . . . _fix_ him?"

Claire smiled.

"Just this once, and if you squeal, I'll send you to Antarctica."

"Claire . . ."

"I'm joking about the Antarctica thing, of course. I'll heal him slowly so it looks natural."

"Claire, the monster is gone."

She looked around. The room was empty.

"You're right."

After a moment, the white world faded away, and they were back in the parking lot. Claire spread her wings.

"Well, that was exciting, but I'd better get going. Why don't you go say hi to Dad?"

"Sure . . . And Claire? . . . Thank you."

"No problem. We should see each other more often."

"Seriously. I owe you one. I don't know how to repay you . . ."

"There are thank you cards in the gift shop. I like the ones with bears."

And with a wink, she flew away, feeling very pleased with herself.

***TSFEW***

When Claire reappeared, Owen, Lily, Elkay, Liam, and Chris were standing in the field. The stegoceratops landed gracefully, and they rushed over to meet her.

"Claire!"

"Where were you?"

"Who's responsible for this?"

"Was it Pablo?! Was it a bat?!"

Claire shook her head.

"I'll explain later. For now, I would like Elkay to go supervise my father and let me know if he misbehaves."

Elkay turned to Chris.

"You heard her. Go."

Claire shook her head.

"No, Elkay. I asked _you_."

"Chris can do it."

He lifted a claw.

"I'd rather not."

"I didn't _ask_ what you wanted."

He pulled his head back, and his pupils shrunk to pinpoints.

"Oh . . . Well, um, why don't we _both_ go? I can help you? . . ."

Claire nodded.

"Good. Both of you, go."

Elkay spread her wings, but paused.

"Wait, who's gonna write?"

Claire shrugged.

"Me. I'll write."

". . . You sure?"

"I'll send the first draft to you for proofreading."

Elkay sighed.

"Fair enough. Come on, Chris. Let's do whatever."

As they began to take off, however, the ambient light of evening began to glow a different color. Elkay shrieked and pointed at the sky.

"The moon!"

It was growing larger and turning blue. It did not crash into the Earth, fortunately, but when it was close enough, it began to speak.

"Hello, Claire."

Elkay uncovered her eyes.

"What the fuck?!"

"I am the Moon. I've been watching you."

Claire stepped back.

"Okay? . . ."

"I am here to invite you to be my ruler. In every world where Earth's Moon crosses the night sky, you will have my blessing."

Elkay groaned.

"What even _is_ this story anymore? . . ."

"Do you accept my proposal, Claire Dearing?" the Moon asked.

She nodded slowly.

"I guess so? . . ."

"Very well. You have a friend in the night sky. Don't forget it."

The moon returned to its former position. The group watched it change, then turned to each other.

"You know, Claire, the moon could watch your father," Elkay suggested.

"Fine," Claire muttered, "But only because I don't fully trust you."

Elkay snarled.

"Oh, that's real nice, considering I reconnected your crotch dumpling with her raptor boo."

Claire blinked.

"What?"

"Lily and Liam are back together."

Liam scuffed his curved claw in the grass.

"Maybe. I haven't decided yet."

Elkay shrugged.

"I tried, anyway. We all know they'll get married someday, regardless of what they put each other through."

Lily seemed pleased by this notion. Liam did too, and he was bad at hiding it. Claire smiled and put her arm around Owen.

"Alright, then. Come inside, everyone. I have a story to tell you."

Chris gulped.

"Um, heads up, I may have pissed off the Bull . . ."

"Ah, we'll deal with that later," Claire laughed, "There's nothing he can do to hurt me."

"You sure?"

"I have no doubt."

After a long silence, Elkay blinked twice.

"I think we used that one already."


	33. Yo Dawg

Welcome back to our Q and A show! I'm your host, Elkay of Asterpara, and here with me today is Christopher.

Christian.

You go by Chris.

. . . Which is short for both Christian and Christopher? . . .

Right, so Christopher, explain to the folks at home what we have prepared today.

I don't know. You literally just grabbed me by the neck and brought me-

That's right: we'll be answering questions we received in the mail, straight from you, the viewers. Shall we begin?

Sure . . .

Great! Our first letter was sent by Priscilla from Yemen. She writes: "Dear Elkay, I recently read the Star Wars story where Owen got his antlers. I was wondering why he didn't get wings like Claire, and if this is even the same kind of thing." Well, Jackie, I'm sorry to say that I don't have an answer for that. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because he's male, but I don't think that's solid reasoning, because sex and gender vary across species, and anyone can become a King or Queen, in theory. That, and my grandson grew a pair of wings, so unless there's something he's not telling me, there's no correlation between antlers and dicks. Let's just say it was the will of The Star.

Do you want the second envelope?

Sure. This letter was sent by Reagan from Omaha. He writes: "Dear Elkay, Chris acted really suspicious when you brought up secret identities. Will this ever be explored, and if so, what exactly is he hiding?" Reagan, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm terrible at reading people, and I find your comment offensive. Next!

***TSFEW***

"Luke? . . . LUKE!"

Claire grabbed her son by the scruff of the neck just as he was about to step over a very sleepy spinosaurus, who opened his jaws and gave a loud yawn.

"Claire?"

"Sorry, Henry. Luke's been out of control lately."

He waved his paw as he stood up.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I needed a little wake up call anyway. That being said, sometimes I yearn for the sweet embrace of death."

Claire winced.

"Really? . . ."

"I'm exaggerating, but it's something to keep in mind. I know this makes me a hypocrite since I was the first major supporter of the CPPC."

Claire sighed, reluctant to get into another discussion about the document.

"Well, it affected Seriama."

He nodded sadly.

"I stand by my decision to save her, but I wish I could have done it without screwing everyone else over."

"Don't blame yourself. And is extended life really that bad?"

"Well, like everything the dragon does, it sounds like a good idea at first, but when you give it a second thought, there are . . . _issues_. I mean, she's keeping us alive without our full consent."

"Sure . . . I guess I can see your problem . . ."

"I'm pretty sure I would have died the other day. I had a heart attack. But then it was just . . . gone. So I guess it wasn't dramatic enough on the dragon's barometer."

Claire's face fell.

"I understand why that would be concerning. But Zara almost choked to death on her own vomit once, and I'm glad she was saved back then . . ."

"I'm not taking that away from you. I just think it should be a personal decision as to whether or not you want to die. Personally, I'm ready to kick the bucket whenever, but I understand that some people are not. Thankfully, I found a loophole, but you're not going to like it."

Claire shuffled backwards a little.

"What is it?"

"If you or another significant character kills me, that would be a major enough event to make my death permanent."

"It sounds contrived."

"Nah, the dragon doesn't care if the drama stems from her own legislation. It's all microcosms and metaphors to her. As long as the story comes first, she's happy."

Claire lowered her head. Henry slid his tail through the grass and draped it over her shoulder gently.

"Hey. Don't feel bad. This isn't your fault."

"Yeah, but if she wasn't doing it, I'm afraid I . . ."

He shook his head.

"No, Claire. You wouldn't keep us alive like this. Your family, sure, but not people like me. I've had a good run, but you _need_ Lily and Owen."

"And Charlie."

"Yes. What I'm saying is you'd know when you were going too far."

"Isn't playing god already going a little too far? . . ."

"Not when you ARE one. But listen, there's nothing abnormal about wanting to keep people around for as long as they're comfortable with. Death is necessary, but it's not like avoiding it for just a little while is bad. You can't escape it forever, but that doesn't mean you should go rushing into it. Years ago, death was something that could rob you of people you weren't ready to part with. And yes, you could learn to live without them, but now we don't have to let go until we're ready."

"That power can easily be abused."

"Yes, but I'm sure you won't abuse it, or at least not forever. You're a clever girl. You know when it's wrong."

"Is it wrong to keep you here?"

He smiled.

"Either or. Life is boring nowadays, but I'll admit it's less stressful than my good old adventures. Still, I'd like to see my mom and . . . well, I don't know if June will be where I'm going-"

"She'll be there a few months a year, at least . . ."

"Yeah, so I want to be with them, but once I get there, that's eternity. Maybe. In any case, I can't forget Harry and his children down here, and as long as I'm living, I have the potential to do right by my family and friends. I'll help where I can, and when it does come time for me to go, I'll hopefully do some good for the people I leave behind."

"By dying? Henry-"

"No, not through the dying itself. I'm just saying I might be able to take a bullet for someone, you know?"

Claire smiled sadly.

"You realize Elkay's probably going to hold you to that, right?"

He laughed quietly.

"Probably. She does enjoy poeticism. But I'll let her have this, because when all is said and done, she saved my Seri, and she's continuing to save people who need it, even if others get pulled along for the ride."

Claire twisted her beak.

"Well, that's another problem. Did she ever tell you what she's doing to keep this death thing under control?"

"I know she's meeting with the Bull every now and then, which probably means . . . Well, you know."

"Yeah. She says she doesn't mind, but I think it's messing her up. She's already walking the tightrope, and anything that pushes her to one side or another is . . . well, it affects her, even if she denies it. I wonder if she'll ever be happy again. She used to be normal, you know, before she made the people who made us."

Henry shrugged.

"Well, if you stick around long enough, you're bound to go a little crazy. Thankfully, I got that out of my system from the start. I hope that she learns to be happy again, or that she's put out of her misery before getting worse."

Claire sighed.

"If _she_ ends, _we_ end. I don't think Elkay will ever return to her former self, but I know some parts of her exist independent of us that are at least a little better off. I used to think that she was the one ruining our lives- and it's true- but we ruined _her_ life just by existing, and since she's the one who made us, she ruined her _own_ life, which is the saddest thing of all."

"You don't think you help her by existing and being there for her?"

"I try, but it's a fine line. I worry about doing the wrong thing, but I guess if I fail to help her, that's not on me. I can't live to serve another person."

"You don't think she's doing the same for us?"

***TSFEW***

Alright, our next letter was sent by Phoebe from Phoenix. She writes: "Dear Elkay, I wanted to write my own FanFiction, but I'm stuck. In my story, Claire is a human and Owen is a Stegoceratops-" -Hot take, there, Phoebe- "-and the human city is surrounded by a magical border that makes dinosaurs incapable of speech. Stegoceratopses usually hang out in the fields beyond the border, but Owen- who is the leader of his herd- wanders into the city one night to search for medicine. He is ambushed by a gang of humans who tie him up and put a muzzle on him, and after a very narrow escape, he discovers that Claire saw what happened and followed him. Initially nervous, he tries to flee, but she untangles him and sets him free. Unfortunately, he takes this as a sign of affection and carries her out of the city. Once he passes the border and can speak to her, he realizes what actually happened, but is hesitant to let her go because she has already seen the tribe, and they could be put in danger if she returns home to her human friends. Long story short, she ends up being a good doctor, and he remains in love with her while understanding that she doesn't return the sentiment (allegedly). How would I proceed with this emotional arc?"

Well, Phoebe, I'll do most of the work for you by providing the dialogue. Be sure to add descriptions of facial expressions and reactions to break this up. Don't worry about being too clever about it, because I myself am extremely lazy in this regard. Anyway, we begin one night after a big celebration. Claire finds Owen lying on his back on a grassy hill, gazing up at the stars.

"You thinking about something?"

"Kind of."

"Stargazing?"

"Well, I'm mostly just sitting like this because I ate too much, but I guess you could call it stargazing, since I'm looking at the stars."

Here's where she would lie beside him, by the way- scratch that- head to head, because they come from opposite worlds.

"I never really understood why people romanticize the night sky. I mean, I can see more stars out here, but they're still just stars. From where I'm lying, they look like little dots on a big, wide emptiness."

"But they're more than that, aren't they? They're the centers of other worlds, systems that your species has visited."

"Well, not yet."

"But you _could_. Humans can hop in a spaceship and get closer to those stars. They can see what's out there. They can understand it. People like me are stuck down here. You're right: it's a bunch of little dots, but humans can see them better with those long sticks with clear bits at the end-"

"Telescopes."

"Yeah, and you can chart them and learn about why they're important. You'll travel far beyond them while people like me are lying on their backs, looking up at tiny dots."

"Well, _I_ won't. I'm no astronaut."

"Again, you _could_ be. I mean, you probably won't be an astronaut, but you'll be _something_. With humans, you never know. A human child could grow up to be an explorer, a healer, an artist . . . but _my_ kind will always end up here."

"I'm sure you could find a way to be civilized out here on your own . . ."

"Great. Between running for our lives and hiding from your people, we'll develop intergalactic modes of travel, just in time to have the sun explode and swallow us up, because the humans will have already evacuated and left us behind."

"The sun won't die for a long time . . ."

"Yes, but do you know how frustrating it is to see _your_ people doing wonderful things when we're stuck eating grass?"

"I think you're capable of greatness too."

"Maybe. Whenever I visit your world, I learn things just like you do, and it makes me wonder if I could be just a little bit better. But then I remember that I can barely open your doors, or walk across your bridges without collapsing them, and I realize that even if someone had the grace to let us in, it would only be a matter of time before we were kicked out again. Your city wasn't built for people like us."

"If there was a city for dinosaurs instead of humans, do you think you'd be just as smart as humans are now?"

"I don't know. There's no way to test it, really. You have a huge head start, anyway, but removing that, I'd be almost afraid to find out. What if they're right about us? What if we're just stupider than you?"

"You seem smart enough. It just might be that you don't have hands and stuff . . ."

"I hope that's true. Not that hoping does anything. Even if I believe I could be something better, there's no way to make it a reality."

"What if the humans accepted you?"

"That's never going to happen."

"You don't think so?"

"There have been times when I've been hopeful that someone is capable of caring about me and my people, but I think it's safe to say that no one will sacrifice their lives to help us when it's easier just to keep doing what they're doing."

"Owen . . ."

"I'm not trying to pass judgment. I'm not even sure I'd do things differently in your place. I want you to be happy, Claire, and if you'd be happier going back, I'll let you."

"What about your people?"

"That's the problem, isn't it? My whole life, I've been serving my herd as any good leader must do, but now I'm starting to have selfish thoughts. If I let you leave, we'll all be a little worse off for it, but you'll go back to your life and we'll go back to ours, and it will be like before."

"Do you think I'll just forget about all this?"

"I imagine you'll think about us every now and then, but as times passes, this will mean less and less to you. You'll remember the adventure, but you won't have any trouble adjusting to your old life. You haven't even been gone that long."

"Well, I may be troubled by the fact that I've hurt your people by leaving."

"No, you won't hurt us by leaving. For a while, we'll miss the way it was when you were here, but just like you, we'll slip back into our old ways, understanding that this past week was nothing more than an anomaly. We can't expect to be pampered by your presence, and you can't be expected to feel grief for any reason at all."

"So why do you think it's selfish?"

"Because if I was considering what was good for the herd, I WOULD force you to stay, or else make sure you won't leave and come back with more humans to harm us."

"I wouldn't do that."

"I know. I'm just saying."

"So why would going back to the way things were be so harmful, considering you believe no one would really care after a certain amount of time?"

"Well, that's the _real_ reason I'm selfish. I know that letting you go is the right thing to do, and I promise not to go back on my vow, but you have no idea how much I don't want you to leave."

"Owen . . ."

"The thing is, I'm fairly certain that my herd will be able to move on from this, but _I_ won't. I've tried to convince myself otherwise, but I know that I'll never be able to forget you, and I worry that the pain of being so far from where you are won't fade until the day I die."

"Owen-"

"I know. I know you don't love me, and I know it's foolish to want something that just isn't going to happen, but the simple fact is that I will continue to want this, though I swear I'll never act on it. I can't get that part of my brain to shut up. It's always there, making me wish for impossible things. Whenever I think about how you'll forget me, I find myself wishing that it isn't true, and that you feel the same way I do. I don't want you to be miserable like I'll be, but at the same time, I wish that you felt as strongly about me as I do about you."

"Owen, this is-"

"I know. I know how wrong it is. Believe me, I hate myself as much as you hate me right now, and if I could stop myself from feeling these things, I would, but as illogical as it is, it's happening. And I hate myself for being dishonest, because when I tell you I love you, I don't mean unconditionally. I love just about every aspect of you, except the fact that you don't love me too. And if I keep hoping that you're capable of loving me, I'm forgetting who you are as a person. You _don't_ love me. That's all there is to it. But I love you and want you to love me back, even though that's something you would never do. I can't justify it, because it's crazy."

"I think you're overanalyzing this . . ."

"Maybe. I'm just wondering why I can love you so much, but hate the fact that you don't love me too."

"I mean . . . it makes sense to _me_ , even though I can't say _why_ . . . and it's still troubling . . ."

"I know. I'm sorry. I guess there's no way to really make sense of these emotions. I mean, as much as this is tearing me apart, the thought of never having met you is even worse."

"Oh."

"You don't have to feel bad, Claire. This isn't your fault. I made a mistake, and now I'm suffering for it. You can plainly see I'm a mess right now, and it's all coming from within me, so you have no reason to feel bad about it."

"Well, I generally don't like seeing people unhappy . . ."

"I understand. That's why you helped me in the first place. You would have done the same for anyone. You did it because you're kind, not because I was worth saving."

"Owen, you're not- You're-"

"What I mean is, you didn't do it because you loved me. You were just kind enough not to hate me right off the bat. Then I repaid your compassion in the worst possible way, though I didn't intend to. I regret that decision so much, you have no idea. But I thought it was different. Maybe that's because I was so fixated on the idea that someone loved me that I ignored the blatantly obvious fact that it's impossible for you or for any human in your place to feel what I wanted them to be feeling. What I _want_ from the world doesn't matter. For the good of my people and for the good of people like you, I have to look at the way things _are_. I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to let my want get in the way of what's real."

"But . . . that can't always be the case."

"Why not?"

"Well, humans wanted to go to the moon, so they did it."

"Yeah, but it was always possible for them to do it. It's not possible for someone like you to love me, so wanting things to change won't make it happen."

"But suppose I actually did love you . . ."

"You don't."

"Well, just imagine, for the sake of argument, that I did."

"But you don't."

"Just pretend."

"Fine. Okay. If it _was_ possible for you to love me, wanting it wouldn't be completely wrong, I guess, since I wouldn't be denying reality."

"What if you weren't sure that I was capable of loving you, but it _was_ possible?"

"If I was human, you mean? Well, if I wasn't sure, I would just ask you, and if you said no, it wouldn't be possible, so we're back to where we started."

"Well, have you asked me?"

"I don't follow."

"I mean . . . how can you be sure that just being a dinosaur makes things impossible? You said yourself that in a dinosaur city, you could be just as successful as humans are now, so why does being a dinosaur change what's possible outside of these arbitrary limitations?"

"Well, love is different."

"How?"

"It . . . It just is. And besides, even if it were possible for you to love someone like me, you don't like me right now, so it's impossible."

"Well, you never asked . . ."  
"When you first got here, you said I made a mistake, and you were right."

"What if I changed my mind since then?"

"People don't just change their minds about love."

"But what if I got to know you? I mean, you can't fall in love with someone right away."

" _I_ did. Look, Claire, I know you're trying to make me feel better, but it won't work. I'm going to stay unhappy for as long as I live, but I'll also be happy in another way, because I'll think about you and . . . Well, that _always_ makes me happy. It'll hurt knowing you don't feel the same way, but there's no way to change that. I know you probably want me to move on and find someone else to love, but I don't think you can make someone feel differently by telling them how illogical their emotions are. We feel what we feel. I'm glad you care enough to try and make me feel better, though."

"I care about you very much, Owen."

"It's kind of you to say that. Anyway, I'd better turn in soon. I need more sleep than humans, and I don't want to be exhausted tomorrow. I'd like to remember it clearly, since it'll be our last day together."

"It might not be."

"Claire, I promise I won't keep you here longer than I said I would. You have my word."

"I wasn't-"

"It's good to be cautious, Claire. I'm not offended."

"No, Owen, you don't understand."

"You're right. I probably don't. I can be quite dense, sometimes."

"Owen."

"I'm not proud of it, but I won't deny it. That's dishonesty."

"Owen, y-"

"It's alright, Claire. I know my limits. I promise to be sensible from now on."

"Owen . . ."

So yeah, you can probably guess the subtext there, and he's already leaving during the last few sentences, so you gotta wonder if he knows.

Maybe he wants to believe she loves him, but he's too afraid to imply anything.

Very true, Christopher. Now, I know I spent a long time on that last letter, but we actually have a few hundred . . . um . . .

You want to keep going with the story, don't you?

I do.

Why don't we write it together?

Sure thing. I don't think we'd be missing out on the other "fanmail", would we, Max?

You got my name wrong again.

Did I? Or did I do that on purpose?

I'm pretty sure you messed up.

Hm.

***TSFEW***

"I guess what this boils down to is whether you'd rather be a vampire or a stegoceratops."

James ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"No, Owen, what matters is what Tammy-Lynn thinks."

"Why don't you ask her what she'd prefer?"

"She'd just tell me to choose whatever makes me happy."

Owen blinked.

"So . . . why not just do that?"

James slid off his barstool.

"Forget it. I'm going home."

Before he could walk out the door, Owen cut him off.

"Hang on. I want an answer. Why can't you just choose?"

James rolled his eyes.

"Even if she tells me it's my decision, she's bound to have a preference."

"I don't think she cares, as long as you're around."

"False! She's just being polite. It's nice to be out of that hellhole, but the dragon damn well knows she's putting me in an awkward situation. She could very well make me human. I'm certain of it. She's just doing this vampire or stegoceratops thing to ruin my relationship."

"I think she's trying to help you, manipulative as her actions are."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it's fair of her to do that."

"Me neither, but somehow, she makes things work. I hate to admit it, but when she sets her mind to it, she can improve the lives of people around her. I mean, look at us; we're friends now-"

"Bah, you have enough friends! What's the difference between me and that lizard bunny?"

Owen gulped.

"You mean Jar Jar Binks?"

"Yes, the one who doesn't belong here."

"Maybe don't say it like that . . . Wait, are you talking about franchises or general fitting in?"

"Both, and _relax_. He's not even around."

"Well, it's no secret that people look down on him, I guess. I'm one of his only friends."

"And that's upsetting you, right?"

Owen avoided his gaze.

"Maybe. I feel bad for him. I know he wants to hang out a lot because he has basically no one else, but I think he's more invested in this friendship than I am. He's kind of needy. I wish he'd find more friends so I don't have to carry the full burden or whatever."

"Doesn't sound like a friendship at all."

Owen frowned.

"James, you can have many types of friends. Some are like you, where you just hang out and occasionally ask for advice. Some are like Jar Jar, where you're there for him when-"

"-it's convenient?"

"No. When he needs you. Look, it's hard having someone like him constantly hanging around you, but he needs _someone_ , and he's trying to be less . . ."

"Obnoxious?"

"That's a little cruel . . . but essentially, yeah. He's talking almost normal now, and we avoid situations where he'd mess things up-"

"Sounds like you're walking on eggshells. Friendship is more than just charity, you know."

"Yeah, and so is love, but you seem scared to death that Tammy-Lynn will leave you if you're even a little independent."

James stared him down, but Owen wasn't intimidated. After a few tense seconds, James shrugged.

"Well, you know how people are. They're never entirely honest with you."

"Not all people."

"Yes, all people. But we don't _always_ do it. Everyone has lied at some point, at least once. Not big lies, but we dance around sensitive topics sometimes."

"That's why you gotta be honest."

"Are you honest with Claire?"

"I try to be, yes. More and more, I'm realizing that she really does care about me, and even if she's concerned by my secrets when I tell her about them, she damn well won't stop loving me when I do."

James exhaled, then made his way back to the bar.

"Well, maybe I'm just not at that stage with Tammy."

"That's alright. You don't need to rush things. You have an eternity."

"Am I covered under that law thing, then?"

"Yep. I think Elkay likes you, or at least likes the fact that you're with Tammy-Lynn. She's been looking out for us even before this thing was passed, you know."

"She just decided to make it official because of what happened to you, right?"

"Well, after. Not 'because of'. I can still die, anyway, as long as it's appropriate enough to merit . . . that."

James looked from side to side.

"Owen, you know how that long-snouted dinosaur getting sick essentially pushed the vote over?"

"It didn't influence the vote. It just made Henry switch sides."

"How do you suppose she got sick?"

". . . with germs?"

"No, how did she get sick if the dragon was looking out for her?"

"She . . . Oh . . ."

***TSFEW***

Okay, so Owen goes to drop Claire off at the city, right, and he wants to walk her back alone so he can say goodbye to her in a more meaningful way.

Makes sense.

But somehow, a group of humans discovers them-

Which humans?

Doesn't matter.

I think it matters.

You're wrong. So these humans discover them, and there's a chase.

Of course.

And somehow Owen makes a decision that ties into the main conflict, so he has to let Claire go and be unselfish.

What if he cuts a bridge to stop her and the other humans from crossing?

I'd like something a little more specific to his species. Maybe something that enforces the divide between human and dinosaur a little more clearly.

Sure. We'll think of that later.

Yeah, and also, it has to tie into his want. He's already prepared to let Claire go, after all, so we need to have an impactful moment-

What if she tells him she loves him?

Not what I was thinking, but I guess that's alright. It's a bit obvious.

We'll work through it later.

Yeah, so anyway, he runs away, leaving Claire broken-hearted . . .

***TSFEW***

"I'm not sure if the dragon has a plan, or if she just gets lucky. I mean, a lot of things seem poetic, and she says she meant for things to work out all along, but then she messes things up really badly."

James clicked his tongue.

"Maybe she makes some good decisions and some bad decisions, like everyone."

"So dragon-decisions just have bigger consequences?"

"Maybe. Or just hers. We don't know any other dragons."

"Vic does. He met a brown dragon way, way back. He was in the army or something, and he hasn't been seen for a while, come to think of it."

"You were in the navy, right?"

"Yeah. I didn't just up and disappear, though. He's either in trouble with the enemy or dodging his line of duty."

"Or both."

"Or neither. To be honest, the politics of the dragon world confuses me."

"Only thing worse is the human world."

"Well said."

***TSFEW***

I think the primary theme here is want versus responsibility. Owen is in love with Claire, but he can't put his herd's safety on the line for one person.

It's more romantic that way.

I know. I'm a writer. But you gotta balance sentimentality with logic. Otherwise you come off as rapey . . . What?

Nothing. I just didn't think you'd use that word.

Wh- Oh. I guess you heard about that whole . . . incident.

. . . So Owen cuts the bridge and-

You don't understand Asterparans. Our lives are complicated.

I think you underestimate my experience.

Don't be belligerent. Anyway, what were you saying about Owen?

He . . . he puts his tribe last because of Claire, but if that's too romantic, we can invert it. What if his decision is whether or not to kill her to save his tribe?

 _Kill_ her?

I mean a dangling-off-cliff situation. He has to make a choice.

And he chooses his tribe, but Claire survives out of luck, and even though they're parted, she understands that he has developed emotionally or something?

Yeah.

Cool.

. . . Does he know Claire loves him?

I don't know. If he does, he doesn't care. He wants her to deny her urges.

I thought it was the other way around.

Hm?

I thought Owen wanted to deny his urges for Claire's sake, but he also loves her more than anything, and he doesn't know if she loves him because if she hints at it, she just pulls back five seconds later and brushes it off.

. . . What are we talking about?

Um.

Anyway, the story-

What are YOU talking about?

The story. Why?

I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing.

Because you're talking about the story.

You said that's what _you're_ talking about, not me.

Maybe it's both?

We're both talking about the story?

What? Wh- Yeah, of course we are . . . Let's not waste time by arguing about this.

About what?

The story.

***TSFEW***

"Do you think it's right to have an overlord of any kind, even a benevolent one?"

"I'm no philosopher."

"But you've been living under the dragon's thumb longer than I have. Do you want out?"

"Yes and no. I've heard theories that I wouldn't be with Claire if the dragon didn't intervene, but on the other hand, the universe seems to be kind to us."

"But on the other, other hand, the dragon controls a lot of the universe."

"Yeah, so I don't know. There's no way of telling how much of life is free will and how much is the dragon being a dickhead."

"You could try reading the story."

"I'm not sure that would help, and besides, me and a few- I'll just say it- main characters agreed not to read too much of the work, because it only causes conflict."

"And you stood by your decision to ignore an all-knowing text?"

"Well, no. I cheated a couple of times."

"Why?"

"Well, sometimes I worried about what my friends were saying behind my back."

"Do you think they do the same for you?"

"Naw. I'm an asshole. My friends are more honest than I am."

"Well, the kindest people are hit hardest by doubt, so I wouldn't count on their word."

"They have no reason to doubt me."

"I dunno, man. Sometimes you don't see these things in yourself."

***TSFEW***

So Owen will be sitting far from the herd, looking down at some memento Claire left behind, or else a symbol of their love. Flower comes up to him asking him to play, but he says he's not in the mood. They have a little talk about Claire and whether or not she'll come back. Owen tells her she will not. She walks away sadly, and Owen reflects. As he sits thinking, Claire comes back. He wonders if he's imagining things. But she comes up to him and kisses him. He doesn't understand, or at least pretends not to. By "pretend", I mean he denies the truth, because he's afraid. He's afraid that there's even a slim chance he's wrong. But she holds him and tells him the actual, honest-to-god truth. She wants him.

***TSFEW***

All this talk about what was possible and impossible made her wonder if he could ever let her love him. But no matter how much he tries to deflect it, she does love him, and more than anything, she wants him to love himself. She sees so much potential in him, and she hopes he can learn to stop hating what he is and become something greater. She wants all the best for him, just as he does for her, and she sincerely believes a relationship is what's best for the both of them. She just needs him to open his heart, frightening as it is for both of them. In order to know what's true, honesty needs to be offered from both sides.

***TSJPFEW***

That night, Owen found Jar Jar lying in the grass. His throat was bleeding, but he was alive, thankfully. Owen brought him to the hospital, and when he recovered, he explained himself by writing on a napkin.

He was not aware of the pact to avoid reading the story he was in.

He cut his own vocal cords so as not to be a bother to his best friend.


	34. The Coruscating

"It was nice of Elkay to let us use her cabin in the Overworld for the weekend."

Claire draped her tail over the dashboard and looked out the window. Mountains with blindingly white peaks met the sky on the horizon. On their collective base, trees of red and green spanned the border of a crystal lake.

"Is this the same ski cabin we went to once?" Owen asked as he attempted to inconspicuously scratch the inside of his nose.

Claire rolled her eyes.

"No, this is a different one. She won it at an auction or something. It was an impulse buy, apparently, which makes me wonder just how much money she actually has. I imagine you rack up a fair sum over trillions of years. Anyway, she was going to use it to store her manuscripts or something, but she says it could turn a profit if she opens it to the public in the summer."

"So no skiing?"

"No."

"Fine by me."

Claire snuffed.

"She says it's not financially viable to clear the main road in the winter, nor to keep the hotel running all year. That's why we're keeping an eye on it for the first few days."

"Oh. You know, this sounds a lot like-"

"The Shining? Yeah, I noticed. That's probably why she's being so generous. It's a trick, you see. She intends for you to go crazy and kill me and the kids, or at least attempt murder and thus taint our marriage on a psychological level. It's just like that time she tried to make me suicidal by doing Inception. Unfortunately for her, she's not as clever as she thinks, and I'm no longer a broken hybrid."

Lily lifted her head in the back seat.

"Mom? . . ."

Claire smiled warmly.

"Daddy won't murder you, sweetheart. I'll make sure of it."

Owen frowned.

"Claire, I wouldn't-"

"Magic is a powerful thing, Owen. Don't underestimate it. Still, Elkay isn't as good at manipulating us as she thinks. She fancies herself a puppetmaster, but she won't make us dance this weekend, I'll tell you that much! This is going to be a fun family vacation, and if anything happens, I'll throw her off by pointing out asymmetrical character roles or something."

Lily gave a worried hum. Claire smiled and wove her tail around the back seat to poke her daughter playfully.

"Hey. Nothing's gonna happen, I promise."

She sunk back in her seat, and her passive smile became a worried pout. Beside her, Luke was turning over some kind of truck in his hands.

"Mama, can I drive the skidoo?"

"No, honey."

"Can I drive it if Daddy rides with me?"

"No, honey."

He threw his toy to the floor and crossed his arms.

"No fair."

Owen looked over his shoulder.

"Luke, if you wanna ride the skidoo, you can, but Daddy has to drive."

"What if I get a li'sunce?"

Owen laughed.

"Luke, peanut, you-"

Claire shrieked as a flock of bambiraptors fluttered in front of the car. Owen swerved to miss them, but one got stuck on the windshield. It smiled.

"Hi, Claire!"

"Hi, Donner . . ." she squeaked.

"Elkay's letting us eat wasps at the hotel. Isn't that nice?"

"Maybe? . . ."

He beamed.

"Well, I'd better be off. A little help? . . ."

Owen slowly turned the windshield wipers on. The feathered dinosaur was swept to the side with much groaning and squeaking from the blades. When he had finally been peeled away from the glass, Claire blinked.

"Do you think they can eat wasps safely?"

"Doubt it. Elkay is up to her old tricks, only this time, they're new."

After a pause, Owen batted his eyes.

"Wait, nevermind. That didn't make any sense."

There was an unsteady moan from the back seat. A spotted head peered over the gap between the two children and tilted to the side with nausea, revealing a bright pink tongue. Claire smiled sympathetically at the queasy Dalmatian.

"Are you carsick, Yaku?"

The dog gave a bark that was dangerously close to a dry-heave. Claire winced.

"Owen, should we pull over?"

He shook his head, then shook it some more when the pine-shaped air freshener got caught in his antlers.

"We're almost there. She can make it."

The dog gave another plaintive groan.

"Owen, I think she's gonna hurl."

Lily peeked between the seats.

"I agree."

Owen rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you two. Have a little faith in my judgment."

The dog whined. Claire clenched her teeth.

"Owen . . ."

"She's okay. I guarantee, as soon as I pull over, she'll be perfectly fine, then when we get back in the car, she'll be back to gagging and you'll be asking me to pull over again, at which point it'll become an endless loop of pointless delays."

The dog made a sound like "yak".

"Daddy, I think she's really sick," Lily said rapidly.

"She's fine."

"Daddy-"

"She's fine, I tell you."

A pause. The Dalmatian quieted down and let her head sink out of view. Owen gave a triumphant smirk and nodded.

"See? I told you she'd-"

 _HORK-_

***TheHotel***

They pulled over at Boulder to get the car cleaned up, then plowed down the road once more. They soon found themselves in Vermont, and made a collective decision to let Claire read the map from that point on. Soon, they were back in Colorado, and they arrived at the hotel a few hours later. They were greeted by The Phantom of the Opera, who was standing at the entrance with a tired expression. Claire got out of the car and trotted up to him.

"Hello."

"What took you so long?"

"We got lost. Are you staying here too?"

"No. I was supposed to be a reference to something, or to a few things, but I kind of forgot what I was supposed to say and-slash-or do. But I'm here, and I'm kind of like a ghost, so that's enough. Can I go now?"

"Uh . . ."

"I wasn't actually asking. I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving by fake-asking. There's food in the kitchen. I took the lamb chops, though."

"We don't really eat-"

"Good. More for me. I also took the steak, by the way."

"Yes, well, we're her-"

"In a hurry, I know. So am I. Just so you know, I basically took everything except the salad, but I thought I'd break it to you slowly."

"Well, that's fine, because-"

"We're family, I know."

"What? We're not-"

"Oh, we're related, or soon to be related, via fluffy raptor."

"Liam? He's-"

"Listen, can I just leave? I have a car full of stolen food, and I don't really want to stick around for . . . things."

As he jogged away, Claire called out to him.

"What kind of things?"

"I forget, but probably bad things. Bye!"

Claire frowned, but her attention was diverted to Owen, who had changed into a stegoceratops to carry the family's luggage more efficiently. He trotted into the hotel proudly with a dozen bags hanging from his plates. Claire followed him, keeping an eye on Lily and Luke as they wandered over to the play park. She cantered by her husband's side, and he slowed down a little, looking at her with self-conscious worry.

"What? . . ."

"I'm concerned," she said quietly.

"Why?"

"You were really insistent on letting Yaku stay in the car."

"Are you gonna rub that in for the rest of the trip?"

"Owen, what if you're going crazy?"

He froze mid-stride.

"What? . . ."

"What if your episode was symptomatic of . . . you know . . ."

Owen exhaled slowly.

"Claire, I would never hurt you. You know that, right?"

"I do, but I worry . . ."

He nudged her beak with his own.

"It's safe, Claire. If it's not, we'll leave. I'm not too attached to this family vacation, anyhow."

"You're saying you don't like us?"

He flinched at the aggression in her voice.

"Claire, I'm not saying . . . Listen, what I meant is that we can always jump ship and go to the beach. It's not like anyone's forcing us to be here, right?"

"Right . . ."

He smiled.

"Right. Trust me, Claire. I'm perfectly fine."

***Saturday***

The hotel was decorated with a Navajo theme. The stern faces in the paintings that lined the foyer seemed like they were straight out of a public service announcement from the 1970's, only they were presumably actual natives and not Italian actors. There was a dark blue carpet woven with twisting black lines, which made the floor look almost like tiger fur, only it was blue, so it was like a tiger in an alien blue-black jungle. Claire, ever alert, thought she smelled lilies and juniper berries in one specific room, but she was alone in this perception. Owen comforted her, and shepherded the family to a private suite.

"The dragon wanted us to stay in Room 237, which means she's quite stupid, and thinks we are too. But despite her not-symmetrical references-"

"Asymmetrical," Claire interjected.

"Right. Despite that, she expects us to be unaware of her misguided illus- I mean ah-llusion, but we're smarter than that, aren't we? That's why I've set us up in Room 217 instead, which is not the spooky-scary room from the movie, so we're perfectly safe. Stupid dragon doesn't even know the source material."

As they went to check on the phone lines and radio, which Owen erroneously called Kaydeekay (and Claire could tell because she had a manuscript), Luke strayed from the group, keen to explore the vast and convoluted maze of hallways. He waddled over a yellow diamond-print carpet, stubby tail wiggling back and forth as he grunted with concentration. He looked up at paintings of Yutyrannus with crowns of red-tipped white feathers and wondered if there were toys hidden somewhere in the hotel. He was fond of his canary binkit, of course, but what he really wanted was a metal truck. He loved anything with wheels, especially if the toy in question had a carrying place at the back. He knew he was likely to find a spaceship, at least, if there was one nearby, because he had been born with a sort of special sense that allowed him to see things. He was often graced with images of faraway lands, some of snow and some of sand, populated by strange creatures. He also had a kind of understanding with regards to Jar Jar Binks, who seemed to know about these worlds from personal experience. When Luke rounded the corner, however, he was not confronted with the bumbling alien, but rather, a furry dragon with two heads. He stood in the middle of the hallway, eerily still.

"Come play with us . . . Or me. I'm not sure how pronouns work when both heads share the same consciousness."

Luke backed away slowly.

***SaturdayAgain***

"How's it going, Squeaker?"

Luke had wandered into his father's room in search of a truck. He waddled up to his dad and cocked his head curiously.

"Okay."

"Having a good time?"

"Yes, Daddy."

His father smiled. Luke thought hard, then blurted out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Dad, you would never hurt Mommy and me, would you?"

His father jumped a little.

"What do you mean? Did your mother ever say that to you, that I would hurt you?"

Luke didn't reply. Owen sighed and lifted him onto his knee.

"I love you, Luke. I love you more than anything else in the whole world. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Good. And you know I'd never hurt you, right?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Seriously, I wouldn't."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Really, Luke. I would never, ever, _ever_ -"

"Can I go play now?"

Owen looked at him sadly.

"Okay, Squeaker. You have fun, alright?"

The child waddled away in silence. Owen sat on the bed, thinking hard.

***StillSaturday***

Owen was going crazy. Of this, Claire was certain. Conceptually, it made sense, though on some level she was beginning to doubt the dragon's knowledge of The Shining, as she had somehow flubbed a good number of references already. There was one, however, that was too specific for her to pass up. No matter how she framed it, Elkay would undoubtedly make Owen lose his mind, and if he cracked, the whole family would be in danger. Not from physical injury, of course, since they seemed to be three quarters immortal (not including the dog), but the trauma of seeing a family member commit violence against his kin, or even consider it . . . Well, she wasn't sure how to deal with that. But Owen _was_ going crazy.

She saw it in the way he moved, mostly. It was the little gestures that no one else seemed to notice that really made her question his sanity. She couldn't put her (metaphorical) finger on it, exactly, but he was . . . _different_ , somehow. Claire watched him when he played with Luke and Lily- the latter was a little too big for the park, but she enjoyed throwing snowballs with the men of the house- and noticed . . . Well, the things that were _wrong_ , plain and simple. She narrowed her eyes as Owen tackled his son to the ground, changing into a dinosaur to lift him up with his horns.

He was up to something. That much was for certain.

***SundayNoWaitSaturday***

Owen was tired after a long day of babysitting (and dogsitting), so he decided to take the elevator up to his room, rather than the billion stairs that winded him even when he was in a state of high energy. He was ever vigilant for signs of insanity in his family members, and especially in himself, he was ashamed to say. He was confident that his love for his family was stronger than ghosts or magic, but he was also confident that Claire knew what she was talking about, and she was very worried about him. Was it possible that he was going insane? He had lost his temper with Luke when he left his car in a place where it was bound to be stepped on (and it was, by Owen), but he had barely even raised his voice. Of course, insanity could very well present itself in small, isolated incidents at first, and like jaundice, mental deterioration was most often noticed by people other than those experiencing it. Still, Owen was sure he was still sane, outside of the doubts that Claire's warnings awakened in him. He wondered if the big twist was going to be that the dog was behind it all along. That just about aligned with the usual craziness the family was subjected to. But then he stepped on another car and got mad again, though he didn't scold his son this time.

How angry did he have to be before it was clinical?

***SundayJustKiddingSaturday***

Claire's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw blood on Owen's feet. She had a brief flash of her husband changing into a Stegoceratops and stomping on their children's heads with his hind legs- or just Luke, since Lily's blood was the same color as Claire's and Owen's. She envisioned a billion possible ways in which he might have bloodied his shoes, and her terror skyrocketed in that split second. Owen quickly covered her mouth to stifle a scream, and when she struggled against his hand, he whispered in her ear.

"You'll wake the kids!"

"You killed-"

"Claire. I didn't kill them. They're with you, remember? Don't you trust me?"

She pulled away from him.

"You have BLOOD on your feet!"

He rolled his eyes.

"That's from the elevator. There was blood in it. When it came down, it got all over me. I thought maybe you'd had an accident."

"I'm not injured."

"Yeah, I meant . . . nevermind."

Claire gave him a suspicious look.

"Wait, if the elevator was full of blood, why did you take it up?"

"I didn't feel like walking."

His explanation might sound suspicious coming from anyone else, but then again, Owen wasn't exactly known for his good judgment. Claire decided to let it slide . . . but she would keep it in mind, just in case.

***SundayForRealThisTime***

Claire yawned and lumbered down the hall in her Stegoceratops-sized bathrobe. The fluffy belt dragged behind her, landing just in front of where her tail met the ground, and the rest of her loose appendages drooped in much the same way. She was not expecting anything frightening to happen, but then again, she was too drowsy to fight the supernatural, so it was an opportune time for everything to go to shit.

And it did.

She was startled by a strange noise coming from one of the rooms, which made her somewhat alert, like a doe who had just spotted the glimmer of a rifle in the bushes. She lifted her head, paused, then opened the door, displaying her impressive horns. When she identified the room's occupant, she blinked with surprise.

"Eddie? Why are you dressed like a poodle?"

He shrugged.

"I dunno. I feel like it might have made more sense in the nov-"

She slammed the door shut, heart racing. She galloped down the hall, and when she rounded the corner, she was standing face to face with a specter dressed in red. His skull-jaw dropped, then bounced as he spoke.

"Hey, Claire! I remembered one of the references I was supposed to make!"

She screamed and pushed past him, then charged across the carpet. After a dozen paces, she heard something slip from the wall and land on the carpet with a deep thump, and she noticed a snakelike hose darting forward, snapping at her heels. Her fear, mixed with the horror of being spooked, made her lose all sense of rationality. She slammed into the wall as she failed to make a graceful turn, then repeated the same action twice more, denting three corners with a Claire-shaped impact crater. Finally, she reached the staircase, and halfway down, she was confronted with the most horrifying sight of all. Her husband was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Eyes wild, she lifted her tail and braced herself for a swing.

"Owen, get away!"

He raised his hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"Stay back! I just wanna go back to my room."

"Why?"

"I'm very confused. I just need a chance to think things over."

"Claire, you're-"

She swung her tail as he took a step towards her.

"Stay away from me! Please! Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not gonna hurt you-"

"Stay away from me! Stay away from me!"

"Claire, darling, light of my life-"

"Get away from me! Don't hurt me!"

"I'm not gonna hurt you . . ."

"GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY! PLEASE!"

"Stop swinging your tail . . ."

"Stay away from me!"

"Put your tail down, Claire."

"Stop it!"

"Claire, put down your tail . . ."

"Please! Get away!"

"Put down your tail."

"Stop it!"

"Put down your tail."

"Stay away from me!"

"Stop swinging your tail."

"No!"

"Claire . . ."

"No . . ."

"Claire-"

"NO!"

Finally, she struck him on the head with one of her spikes, and he tumbled down the stairs, unconscious. Wasting no time, she dragged him all the way to the pantry and locked the door, intending to wait nearby and finish the job, should a ghost decide to free him.

Claire heard a sound, and whipped her head towards it. Lily and Luke were staring at her with horror. She panted wildly, drained from the journey to the kitchen.

"Lily, Luke, I had to. He was going to kill us. It's just like the movie. He was crazy."

"Not Daddy . . ." Lily sobbed.

Claire roared.

"Lily, this is no time for weak-minded thoughts. Your father was going to hurt us. Try to understand."

Luke began to cry. Lily's eyes were wet too, but she held her brother tenderly as he sobbed into her leg. She steadied her voice, but could not conceal a faint tremble.

"Let's go home, Mommy. Let's take Daddy out of here and go home."

Claire tossed her head.

"He's dangerous."

"We need to get him away from the hotel. That's what's causing this."

Claire caught her breath slowly, and her panting decelerated. It was not a calm change, but one of cruel realization.

"The hotel's got you too."

Lily's eyes went wide.

"No, Mommy, no . . ."

"You're going to attack me just like your father did."

Lily backed up slowly, keeping Luke close.

"Mama, I'm not crazy . . ."

"Get away from Luke. Get away from him."

Lily held her brother protectively.

"Mama, please . . ."

There was a loud bang behind Claire. In the pantry, Owen began to shout.

"Get away from my kids! Claire, get away from them!"

She yanked the door open and struck her horn against his head before he could react. He went down fast, bleeding profusely. When Claire turned back to her children, the kitchen was empty. She growled.

"I won't let you betray me like this . . ."

She rumbled deeply.

"You won't get away that easily . . ."

She plucked an axe off the wall and carried it in her mouth.

"I'll fix you. I'll fix you good."

***TCNITXE***

Luke held onto Lily's neck as she ran through the hotel. It was too cold to go outside, but she figured she could hide in one of the rooms, and perhaps defend herself from her insane mother if necessary. She could hear the deranged animal slamming her spikes against the wall, huffing like a train and foaming like a wave. Lily was more agile, but Claire wasn't letting anything get in her way. She would reach them in no time.

"Luke, you have to hide."

"You too!"

"I'm too big. Listen, Luke, if I set you down, you can-"

Lily gasped. She had reached a dead end. She skittered in place, then turned to take a different route, but her mother slammed into the nearest wall and caught sight of her. When she realized her prey was cornered, she prowled forward slowly, saliva dripping from her beak and from the axe. She smiled an unfriendly smile. There was murder in her eyes.

"Come here, Lily," she growled through the axe's handle, "Let's put all this behind us. Your father is locked away, and the ghosts are gone. We won, Lily. We won the game."

Lily backed away. Claire snarled.

"Why are you running, sweetheart? I'm going to fix everything. I'm going to make sure this never happens again. Give me my son, Lily . . ."

Lily jumped as her tail brushed against the wall. She peeked over her shoulder, then gave a pitiful whine. Her mother began to cackle, axe slipping with her loosening bite, then she lifted her tail and-

Suddenly, Jar Jar Binks gave a valiant cry and leapt upon her back. Claire shrieked and tried to buck him off, but he held on with a firm grip. He grabbed the axe's handle. It slipped out of Claire's mouth, and he pulled it against her throat. She fell.

"RUN!"

Lily leapt over her mother and the surprisingly efficient Jar Jar, grabbing Luke by the scruff of the neck along the way. She did not look back until she was out of the hotel. Meanwhile, Claire continued to thrash around . . .

***FRIDAY***

. . . and it was about this time that Elkay realized the body she had been slamming into the wall no longer had a face. The flesh around the base of the tail was contorted from her repeated swings, like metal that had been bent until it was white. Any bones supporting the limb were no longer connected, but that was nothing compared to the head. Claire's muzzle had been crammed into her skull, and she almost looked like a bloody pug with mixed features slapped on here and there. Her head was more of a stump, actually, and it had been a while since she had last screamed. It ended with a gurgle, Elkay remembered.

She dropped the corpse and stared at the glowing splatter of queenblood on the wall, which was thick enough to drip and pool where the baseboards met the floor. Bits of skull and beak were strewn in the thick fluid, as well as what looked like brains. For a moment, there was silence, and then the gravity of the situation settled in.

Elkay had been writing, she remembered, and Claire had interrupted her. She was angry, very angry about this, and Claire had urged her to take a break. Writing was making her an inhuman monster, she said. But Elkay would have none of it. She was the first to attack, though the snap of her jaws missed Claire by a few centimeters. She wondered if she had done that on purpose as a warning, or if she genuinely meant to hurt her and simply missed. It was looking that way. Claire chose not to engage with her directly, but she had done something far worse. She tore a page from the typewriter Elkay had been using and read the text out loud, which was wrong in so many ways, and the dragon had simply snapped because of it.

During it all, something had been said about dread and white silence, which was clever, then something about a pickle-plated cow, which was less clever, and something came crashing down like the bones of a dinosaur, and there was pain and shouting and-

YOU DON'T DESERVE HIM! I WANTED HIM MORE THAN YOU DID BUT HE STAYED WITH YOU AND HE COULD HAVE BEEN MINE!

-and then she was in the middle of a murder.

Elkay looked down at the long-dead, recently-dropped corpse and screamed. Gathering all her will, she cast a spell, and after a moment, the blood and entrails lifted into the air and were replaced in their proper orientation, though the body slammed into the wall in reverse several times more. More than Elkay was expecting, surprisingly.

Gradually, every bit of skull whizzed back into place, like some kind of demented jigsaw puzzle, and when Claire was standing upright, Elkay ended the magic and scooped her up in her arms. The torn paper dropped from Claire's beak as she gave a surprised moo, and Elkay started crying.

"Claire, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay . . . It's okay . . ."

"I didn't mean to get mad at you. You're the only family I have."

"I'm not even close to-"

She wailed.

"I tried talking to Alan and Clover the other day, but when I walked up to them, they didn't look at me like I was family. They're _afraid_ of me, Claire!"

She laughed nervously.

"You're not as dangerous as they think . . ."

"The only relative of Ellie that talks to me is Liam," she continued, "And that's only because he's around Lily, who's around _you_."

"Elkay, I-"

"And I didn't mean it, about you not deserving him. You love him more than you let on, and you let on enough. If I really loved him, I'd let him be with you, because he hates me, and he loves you, and I'd make him miserable like I make everyone miserable and that's why they leave me!"

"Elkay-"

"I try to do what they say, but just being me doesn't make them happy, so it's all a ruse and I'm living a lie to pretend like I'm perfect for them. One mistake, and they realize how much of a lie it is. And no one likes me like I am. I'm not a person people like. Everyone would be so much happier if I was hidden away like before . . ."

Claire rumbled.

"Elkay, don't say those things . . . I'm not sure what you're talking about, but it sounds- Oof!"

Elkay hugged her tightly, pressing her cheek against her forehead.

"I should have been grateful to have you, Claire. You were the only one who stayed. You wanted to be my friend and I abused you. You could have been the new Ellie, not like that muppet I had commissioned . . ."

"Elkay, that was just weird. If you're going to make tail-puppets-"

"You're my new tail-puppet, Claire, only you're real and not on my tail. You're a flesh-animal non-puppet. You're my friend, and I could have been _your_ friend, but I didn't let it happen. Why did I do that? I needed a friend, but I pushed you away, but you stayed close, but it was all wrong . . ."

She sobbed noisily. Claire had given up on making sense of the dragon's ramblings, so she sat still and eventually let herself be pet like a cat. Elkay sniffled and rocked her back and forth. Her tail dangled.

"You're still here, aren't you, Claire?"

"Yes?"

"And you'll always stay, even though I'm here."

"Uh-huh . . ."

"So it's not too late, and we can be friends and you'll never die, and you'll sell lots of toys . . ."

"Toys?"

"You're more popular than me. You sell like hotcakes. Dinosaurs are more huggable than dragons."

"Yeah, but dragons give the best hugs."

Claire smiled and squeezed Elkay gently, which was echoed in a violent and desperate action. A moo was forcefully wrung out of her.

"You're a better friend and a better stuffed animal than me."

"Not better. Just different."

"But better by any human measurement."

"Neither of us is human."

"But you operate under the laws of humans, and humans perceive me as a dick, because I am."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Well, maybe if you didn't try so hard to prove them right . . ."

"I _want_ to be nice to you, even if people don't think I'm a good person."

"What?"

"I want you to like me, because one person liking me is enough."

"Okay . . ."

"You make me want to try harder, yet you're the only living person who has the patience to believe in me, even now. That, or you're self-destructive too."

"Um-"

"That's okay. We'll be friends, and we won't ask why."

Claire sighed.

"Alright. Sounds good to me."

They shared the hug a while longer. After a few minutes of warm and joyful friendship, Claire batted her eyes.

"Elkay, why were you so mad when I tore up the page?"

"It was a masterpiece."

"But all you had written down was-"

And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon. And Claire jumped over the Moon.


	35. Lily Doesn't Fully Trust Penumbra

Claire found her newly-appointed assistant in the library, her face buried in an old book. This was not unusual- she had been studying the text for quite some time- but tonight, she was snoring. Claire walked up to her with a sad smile and nudged her gently with her antler.

"Penny?"

She groaned, and her eyes fluttered open. She looked around with confusion.

"Whah? . . ."

"You fell asleep."

Penumbra yawned.

"Did I? Oh, that's right. I was hoping to finish thirty pages today. I still have so much to cover . . ."

She scanned the page she had been drooling on, taking note of her recent translations. Claire placed her foot on the parchment stubbornly.

"Go to bed, Penny. You're exhausted."

She shook her head.

"No, I set a goal and I intend to stick to it, otherwise this will never get done."

Claire gave her a sympathetic look.

"It's okay, Penny. There's no hurry."

The baggy-eyed stegoceratops let out a pensive sigh.

"I don't want to disappoint you."

"Impossible."

"You've been so good to me-"

Claire shook her head.

"Neither of us owes each other anything. I think we can agree that our . . . _mistakes_ . . . pretty much cancel each other out."

"Mine are worse."

"I feel the same way, so I think we're just being hard on ourselves."

"I literally tortured you."

"And I mur-"

Claire found she couldn't finish the word. Even now, it hurt to bring up what had happened in the forest by the train wreck so many years ago. Penumbra saw her discomfort and curled her tail around her ankle.

"It's okay. I don't like to think about that stuff either . . . from _my_ side, I mean. I guess you're right. It cancels out."

Claire nodded slowly, trying to keep herself from thinking about how close she was to tears. Penumbra decided a change of subject was in order.

"I suppose it would be best to take a break, but as much as I don't want to slack off, I have to admit that I've made more progress in these past weeks than when I first started. It's getting easier to translate."

"Must be second nature by now."

"Almost. I still need help from the dragon every now and then. Her language is very similar to this one."

They both shrieked as a yellow figure dropped down from the ceiling like a caterpillar that had lost its balance, landing on the table with a loud smack.

"Won't be able to help you much right now. I'm off my meds, which means I lack . . ."

She looked around.

"Has the wallpaper always been green?"

". . . Focus? . . ." Claire suggested.

The dragon nodded rapidly.

"Yes, I lack focus."

Claire held back a snort.

"Alright, Elkay. As long as you're staying out of trouble."

"Oh, I am. Ever since Chris and I went full out on marketing, I've been staying out of trouble, and advanced revenue deposits are up forty percent."

"That's not a real term."

"Fuck. I forgot you actually know things about business."

Claire smiled pompously.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"You can attend the grand opening of Sillyland."

Claire's eyes flicked open. She turned to Elkay slowly.

"Sillyland? . . ."

"Our theme park. We bought out another corporation and did a little rework of their brand."

"And you thought that was a good idea? . . ."

Elkay chuckled.

"Claire, this is foolproof. Name ONE amusement park that failed."

Penumbra cocked her head.

"This should be interesting."

***TSFEW***

"Are you sure it's a good idea to spray agent orange in the faces of our guests?"

Elkay slapped her forehead.

"Chris, I told you to put _orange-smell_ in Soarin' Over Asterpara, not agent orange!"

"So I should dump it, then?"

"No, that's for a separate project."

"Ah. And the bromine?"

"It's for the water, but now that you mention it, why don't you try mixing the two and see what happens?"

The troödon stared up at her with a blank expression. She shooed him away.

"Hop to it. Do some chemical imagineering."

As he trotted away with a reluctant gait, Claire brought her family over (with the exception of Owen, who was flying around to test his new wings in a dry climate). Penumbra and Monsanto followed. Elkay greeted them with a hug, though it was Claire who jumped into her arms first (both to be friendly and spare her friends from what she had learned were boa-constrictor-type embraces).

"Claire! Glad you could make it! I've planned out our entire day so that we can cover every single ride, plus a couple of shows and parades. I bought fast passes off some shady guy and paid a disabled person to help us cut in line."

"I'm not disabled!" Chris shouted from behind a bin of chemicals.

"You WILL be if I catch you slacking off!"

Claire frowned.

"Why do you need to cut in line? I thought you owned this park."

Elkay grumbled.

"Oh, _now_ you tell me. Could've saved me the price of admission."

Claire stared at the dragon, who batted her eyes innocently.

"I can never tell if you're joking or not."

"Me neither."

She perked up and listened to the music that drifted over the theme park's fence.

"Elkay, are you SURE you can do this?"

She laughed, exposing her curved teeth.

"Claire, I am _absolutely_ capable of running things around here. What could _possibly_ go wrong?"

 _BANG!_

They jumped as a cloud of toxic gas billowed out of a nearby bin. Above it, Chris dropped the flask he was holding and slowly extinguished the fire on his still-flaming cowlick-feathers.

". . . I think we'd better stick to orange-smell."

***TSFEW***

Surprisingly enough, the theme park wasn't half bad. Aside from a couple of broken-down rides, the visit was relatively painless. Things took a slight turn when Penumbra discovered the darker themes of one of the cutesy attractions, and upon rounding a corner in a little boat saw no less than a dozen toy stegoceratopses dangling from their hind legs with glittering, bedazzled blood spilling out of them in strings of ruby beads, but the ride ended with a human and a stegoceratops singing and dancing side by side in a naïve but well-intentioned representation of a perfect world. Although Penumbra was partly traumatized by the sight of dead hybrids, she "essentially liked the message", and moved on when the ride was over. Claire wondered if she was just trying to appear cheerful, or if she was precisely as stable as she claimed to be. It was hard to tell sometimes. She had started crying the other day while eating potato salad, stating "it's the most beautiful thing I've ever tasted", and Claire laughed until she added "I never had anything like this in the camps".

It was hard dealing with Penumbra's trauma. The only thing that made Claire more nervous was facing the conflict that had occurred between the two of them. More than anything, Claire wanted to be friends with Penumbra- and she _was_ , mostly- but every now and then, she'd remember the time that she told her she wanted to hear her scream and-

"You okay?"

Claire shook her head.

"I'm fine."

She hated to admit it, but after these flashes of memory, there was always a split second when she wondered if Penumbra's smile was hiding something sinister. But then Penumbra would look at her with concern or sympathy or absolute trust and loyalty and she'd feel like a terrible person. Penumbra was reformed. She had no reason to be duplicitous. The two of them had made peace, and it was nice to have a new friend, even if things got a little awkward every now and then.

"Mama, I wanna visit the Phantom of the Opera Manor!"

Lily bounced up and down excitedly. Her unchanging appearance combined with her perpetual childlike glee made it hard to believe she was over forty.

"No, wait! Space-Pirates of the Caribbean! That one just broke down, but it's safe now . . ."

Luke grinned.

"I want to ride Sarah Krill and the Temple of the Two-Headed Snake!"

"Easy, Luke, easy," Claire cooed, "You-"

"Ma, I'm perfectly capable of riding alone. I traveled to the Beneath, for heaven's sake!"

"Luke . . ."

Monsanto glanced at the scene from where he had been eyeing a bag of dino-sized potato chips and tipped his hat in a peaceful manner.

"It's okay, Claire. I can take him. You need a break. Penny, why don't you have lunch too?"

Claire wondered if there was anything healthier than chips lying around. Penumbra was still in a bad state. She had been deprived of nutrients as a child, and it would be difficult to get her body back to normal.

Of course, Claire wasn't in charge of her diet.

She mentally kicked herself for trying to lord over someone else's life. Penumbra was a friend like any other. She wasn't a lost puppy on the side of the road.

"Do you think they have potato salad here?" she asked.

Claire hated the fact that her heart felt a pang at the mention of cold vegetables.

***TSFEW***

About an hour later, Owen carried an empty tray over to a recycling bin (decorated with a cartoon of Claire stating "go green" [Elkay hadn't asked permission to use her image, of course]) while the rest of the gang enjoyed the last few French fries, which rattled in their cup like a snake's tail. Penumbra was admiring the decor of the restaurant, and Lily was carefully examining the map to determine their next activity.

"Look, Mama. There's a meet and greet for you and Dad. I assume it's just actors in costumes . . ."

"I really don't like Elkay using our likeness like that," Claire muttered.

"Well, she technically owns us. Our trademark, anyway. I think it's kind of nice that people like us so much. There's even a baby me that they carry around. I think it's a robot."

"Mhm."

"Can I get a stuffed toy of me before we leave? I wanna show it to Liam."

"We'll see, honey."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Mama."

"Then why do you need a stuffed animal?"

"Bragging rights. And what's wrong with toys, exactly? . . ."

Penumbra laughed.

"Don't be offended, Lily. Some people forget the magic of toys. I consider myself a levelheaded woman, but there's a certain charm to playthings."

"You have toys?"

" _Had_ toys. I lost most of them during . . . Well, you know. I had a dollhouse and a doll and a kite and a ball."

"That rhymes," Owen remarked as he returned to the table.

"A ball? Lily asked, "What kind of ball?"

"What do you mean? It was a ball."

"I suppose it was the same kind you had me balance on in your circus."

There was bite to her remark, and although Penumbra paused to consider it, she decided to leave it be.

"It was just a regular ball. I think it was blue."

"I suppose you practiced balancing on it more than _I_ did. Or were you a natural compared to a no-talent like me?"

Claire whispered her name furiously under her breath, but Lily continued to glare at Penumbra, seemingly keen to continue this unprovoked attack. Her hostility was clearly noticed, but the reply was evasive, not challenging.

"I don't think I'd be able to balance, given my . . . diminutive size."

"Now you're calling me fat?"

Claire pointed at the map aggressively. It made a rustling sound under the pressure of her foot.

"Well, now that we've had lunch, how about a little stroll through Fiction Square?"

Lily continued to glare at Penumbra, who shrunk a little. Claire grabbed the map in her beak and pushed her chair away from the table.

"Let's go."

Before she could get very far, Elkay blocked her path.

"Claire, I need you to help me get an autograph."

"From whom?"

Elkay pointed to an actress in a red wig. Claire frowned.

"Is she supposed to be me?"

"She's Claire. Help me talk to her. I'm no good around characters."

Claire's mouth hung open as she decided which part of the sentence to pick apart first. The dragon was fidgeting anxiously, however, and wouldn't give her the chance to point out any obvious flaws in her thinking.

"Please, Claire? . . ."

"Fine."

She walked up to the woman, changing into a human along the way in the hopes that it would make Elkay realize how ridiculous she was being. The actress mock-gasped.

"Wow, you look a lot like me. Are you Shmlaire?"

Claire crossed her arms.

"Very funny. My friend wants her book signed."

"Of course."

She scribbled on the available page. When she was done, Claire quirked a brow.

"Wow, that's actually pretty accurate."

Elkay took the book from her and squeaked excitedly.

"Best day EVER!"

Claire rolled her eyes and turned towards the table. She felt her heart sink when she saw the accusatory look on Lily's face, which Penumbra was purposefully (and awkwardly) avoiding.

Whatever this meant, it wasn't good.

***TSFEW***

When they got back to the ranch, Claire said goodbye to Penumbra at the door, then followed Lily up to her room. Her daughter sat quietly in the darkness, pretending she was oblivious to the tension between them. The only light that entered the room came from distant lanterns on the houses of the revived stegoceratops colony, which dotted the hills like stars. Claire stood in Lily's doorway, fuming.

"Care to explain what the hell happened today?"

Lily turned away with a childish pout.

"I don't trust her."

"Lily, she's reformed."

"Yeah, she _acts_ like it, but how long before she snaps?"

Claire snorted.

"Lily, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm not denying that Penumbra _seems_ fine, but how do we know what's going on in her head? Don't you remember what she did to us? Doesn't a part of your mind doubt that she can keep this up when she was set on murdering you the last time you two met?"

"No," Claire lied, "And even if it did, I'd ignore it, because it would be wrong."

Lily glared at her mother.

"You don't think it's even remotely possible that she'll change her mind?"

"Lily, we all make mistakes. Penny and I have made bigger mistakes than most people, but that only means it'll be harder to lapse into a state of complacency. We know what we did was wrong, and we're never going to do it again."

After a long silence, Lily lifted her chin defiantly.

"Maybe YOU won't . . ."

Claire shook her head in disbelief.

"Lily, where is this coming from? I thought you were better than this."

Suddenly, Lily's face softened, and for a moment, Claire felt her heart pang with guilt.

"I can't help it, Mama. It sounds silly, but it still bothers me, even though I know she's different now."

"Lily, it's normal to experience trauma after being threatened-"

"No, I mean about the ball. She told me I was ugly and that my only talent was standing on a ball for five seconds."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Lily . . ."

She whined.

"See! That's what I'm _saying_. I can't complain about it because it's so minor compared to everything else, but for some reason, it really hurts me . . ."

"I don't know what to say."

"Well, you know how it is. You grow up believing something about yourself, whether you realize it or not, and when someone confirms your worst fears . . ."

Claire wrapped her arms around her daughter, closing her eyes tightly.

"Lily, you aren't ugly. I know it hurts to hear it from someone you thought you could trust, but Penny was different back then. She wanted . . . Well, she wanted to hurt you- _me_ , actually- but she wanted to hurt others because of the hurt _she_ was feeling. Understand?"

Lily hummed.

"I guess . . . But that doesn't give her an excuse. She tried to kill us, remember?"

Claire peeked over her shoulder quickly, then lowered her voice.

"I know. But we have to trust her."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. And we have an eternity to sort this out. Usually, damaged people don't get a second chance, but the world is changing."

Lily nodded.

"I understand. But I don't want you to let your guard down just because you feel guilty."

Claire snorted.

"Who's the mother here, you or me?"

"We BOTH could be if Liam got his shit together."

Claire laughed gently.

"Don't rush into things, Lily. Remember: we have an eternity."

***TSFEW***

Penumbra was awkward at the best of times, but she found that she was really, really bad at forcing pleasant conversation. Well, more than pleasant conversation. She had been trying for the past few hours to convince Lily that she was no different from a cool aunt, but she mostly came off as desperate and needy and- worst case scenario- suspicious. Attempting such pleasantness actually gave the impression that she had something to hide, which she was almost certain she didn't, but she was becoming so awkward that she wasn't sure of anything anymore. She followed Lily to the lake by the northern stegoceratops cottages, hoping to undo her blunders (which had begun as attempts to undo earlier blunders, of course), making what she hoped was acceptable small talk.

"I get spooked by salamanders. They say all stegoceratopses get spooked by something. How about you?"

"I don't get spooked."

"Oh, well, maybe it doesn't apply to- I mean- you might not have found it yet."

"Like my talent, you mean?"

Things were turning sour quick. Penumbra could feel sweat dripping down her temples.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure you have-"

"Don't call me that."

"Oh. I mean, um, yeah. Lily, I'm sure you have plenty of talents. More than me, probably. I can't do much, since I'm so feeble and-"

"Full of self-pity?"

Penumbra batted her eyes, but chose to ignore the remark.

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm not in great shape, and you're very lucky to be healthy. You live in a peaceful time. People like you have a place in this world."

"People like _us_ , you mean."

"Hm?"

"We're both stegoceratopses. That's what you meant, right? We don't have to worry about war and . . ."

She tried to think of a softer way to bring up genocide, but gave up unceremoniously.

". . . stuff."

Penumbra winced.

"I don't know about _that_ . . ."

"I guess there are wars going on in other countries, but-"

"No, I mean . . . Well, you're not exactly a traditional stegoceratops, are you?"

Lily scowled.

"So, what am I? A human?"

"No. God, no!" Penumbra laughed.

After a beat, she realized how her remark sounded.

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with humans. Nothing at all. It's just . . . you're a dinosaur. That's what I meant."

"So I'm a stegoceratops."

Penumbra's mouth hung open for a few seconds.

"Uh . . . In a way, I suppose, but being a stegoceratops is more than just the way you look."

"I was born from a stegoceratops and a human. I have to be at least a _little_ stegoceratops."

"Well, your mother isn't exactly a stegoceratops either-"

She caught herself.

"I- I didn't mean it that way. What I was trying to say is that she wasn't born a dinosaur, so . . . Why are we arguing about this, anyway? We're all the same species . . ."

"Except I have 'mutant genes'."

Penumbra gave her a sympathetic look.

"Oh, sweetie, who told you that?"

"You did."

Penumbra froze. Lily's face hardened.

"Don't you remember? That was around the time you started going on about how my mother wasn't a real stegoceratops. Kind of like you're doing right now."

Penumbra's breathing became quicker.

"I . . . I didn't realize . . . You know I didn't mean it like that, right? . . ."

Lily's silence was a clear enough answer. Penumbra took a deep breath.

"Listen, sweetheart, I know you're upset with me, and you have every right to be, but I want us to be friends. It may take a long time, but if there's anything I can do to convince you of my good intentions . . ."

"Prove it."

Penumbra cocked her head.

"How? . . ."

Lily's eyes began to glow, and wisps of light moved from Penumbra's head to her own. Penumbra tensed up in fear, but the lustrous tails soon vanished.

"I know what you can do," Lily said coolly.

***TSFEW***

When day turned to night, Lily led Penumbra to a shack in the middle of the woods. By the time they arrived, it was almost impossible to see clearly, though moonlight bathed the structure in an ominous, pale glow. Penumbra had been afraid before, but now she was starting to guess Lily's plan, and she didn't like where it was headed.

"I saw what you fear most," Lily affirmed, "You're afraid of being trapped alone in small, dark spaces. This is a small, dark space. Get my drift?"

Penumbra gulped.

"I . . . I see where you're going with this, but what will it accomplish?"

"I'll trust you if you prove to me that you're willing to face your greatest fear."

"Can't I just touch a salamander or something? . . ."

Lily frowned.

"This isn't going to be easy, but it's the only way to convince me that you're willing to be my friend. Do you accept?"

Penumbra realized that she was shaking. She began to back away slowly.

"Lily . . . You looked into my mind. You know how much this scares me."

"Exactly. That's why enduring it will be proof that you care. And hey, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right outside the whole time."

Penumbra glanced at the shack nervously.

"Are you sure this is the only way?"

"Positive."

Although her knees were trembling, Penumbra managed to take a step forward. Her heart wasn't so much pounding as vibrating, and she wondered if it was possible that she might die right then and there, because it felt like her chest was about to burst. She looked at Lily, then turned towards the shack, and before she knew what she was doing, she walked stiffly through the door and squeezed her body into the cramped space. She jumped as Lily shut the door, then took a shaky breath and tried to speak without revealing the wobble in her voice.

"H-how long do I have to stay in here?"

No reply. Penumbra gulped, eyes darting back and forth.

"Lily?"

Silence.

"Lily? . . ."

It was then that she realized she was alone. Lily had been lying when she said she'd be there the whole time. She had just up and left, and there was no way of telling when she'd be back.

Penumbra threw herself against the door, screaming shrilly, but it didn't budge. She slammed into the walls repeatedly before pacing in a tight circle, then collapsed on her side, taking laboured breaths. She stared ahead, and though there was nothing but darkness in front of her, her gaze was emptier than it should have been.

She stayed that way for a very long time, sensing the collapse of her world as the familiar feeling of utter hopelessness sunk in. She had been foolish to trust that the darkness would never return. One way or another, it _always_ came back. It was inevitable by design. This was her end. It was the end of _all_ things, the knowledge of inescapable loss. Finality. She would lose her family, her friends, her mind, herself . . .

But then she heard a noise that brought her back to reality. Thunderous footsteps drew near, filling her mind with a million unspecific and probably nonsensical thoughts. There was a splintering sound, and she detected an escape route. Before she even processed this fact, she darted into the moonlight and charged away from the darkness, praying it wouldn't chase her and eventually swallow her up like some kind of horrible nightmare. She tripped on the uneven ground and found herself lying on her side, gasping for air. She could feel grass on her beak, and she realized that she could smell it, too. Her other senses faded into existence through the veil of her (slowly) subsiding panic, and she realized that there were voices nearby, and they were yelling at each other. She turned her head a little and saw someone approaching her. Claire nudged her cheek desperately with her front horn, in a state of absolute panic.

"Penny, Penny, are you alright?!"

She could only manage a whimper. Claire turned to shout at Lily, who was standing a little ways off. Penumbra tried to say something, but she couldn't think of any word combinations that might improve the situation, or even make sense when uttered. She did her best to evaluate her options, but the situation got worse the more she waited, as she realized when she started listening again.

"-absolutely insane! How could you _do_ this to her? She's done _nothing_ wrong-"

"She tried to kill us!"

"You act like you're the most forgiving person among us, but you're the _first_ to pass judgment, and without even being provoked!"

"She can't be trusted! I thought we established this when she fought you to the death!"

"Death isn't the end of it, Lily! And you were the one who told me she was different in the first place!"

"I was wrong!"

"How could you possibly know that?"

"I DON'T! I _don't_ , okay?! But someone HAS to be right!"

"That's not true!"

"You're just saying that because you know we can't win. If she's in the right, that makes US the bad guys."

"No, it doesn't. It's not that simple-"

"That's just an excuse! You're looking for a compromise that doesn't exist because you know that when it comes down to it, _we're_ going to be in the wrong."

"How-"

"Because we _made_ her this way! _We're_ the reason she's so messed up!"

" _LILY_!"

"It's true! _We're_ the ones who made her a monster, and we can't escape it."

"No, Lily, it was _bad people_ who did this to her. We had nothing to do with-"

"You keep dodging responsibility for what happened to the colony, because it's too horrific for you to face. And you think you can move on and become a better person, but you can't. This wasn't a _learning experience_ , Mom. People _died_ because of you."

"Lily . . ."

"And how many times have you tried to undo it? Just last week, Dad went back in time to stop the first killing from taking place, and I'll bet he didn't tell you because- guess what? He failed. No matter what we do, we can't change what happened, and because we can't change it, we can't become better people. You can say that we've learned from our mistakes, but how much goodness can possibly be in _any_ of us when we're responsible for these atrocities?"

"Lily, this isn't your fault. With me, it's different. I've made terrible mistakes. Fine. I admit it, but you're not me. You can be whatever you want, because-"

"I CAN'T! I came from you. I was shaped by what you taught me, and I can't even distance myself from you, because I don't _want_ to. I love you, but you've done horrible things. How can I escape that and still be true to myself?"

During the conversation, Penumbra had become somewhat lucid, and she had much to say about the exchange, yet she feared anything she hoped to add might push Lily over the edge. Above all, Penumbra felt sorrow, though she wasn't sure exactly why or who it was directed at. She knew that she wanted Lily to calm down, whatever the reason for that was. Before she could say a word, Lily tossed her head and slammed her feet against the ground.

"I _hate_ myself! I hate myself and it's not for the reasons I thought I would! You told me to ignore the people who said bad things about me, but they were right! I'm a monster!"

Claire stepped forward.

"Lily-"

Lily screamed, and suddenly, claws sprouted from her fingertips. She grew quills and fangs and became pale all over, with the exception of her wings, which turned pitch black. Claire watched in horror, but she was soon knocked to the side when her daughter charged forward, crashing through the forest like a wild animal. Penumbra finally found the strength to stand.

"We have to go after her."

" _I'll_ go after her. You stay here."

"I'm coming with you. This is my fault."

"No, Penny, it isn't."

"Let's not argue. We'll split up and find Lily. Unless you can track her with magic? . . ."

"She blocked me."

"Then we'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

Claire balked, though she seemed eager to pursue her daughter, rightfully so.

"Penny . . . Lily's in a fragile state right now . . ."

"Claire, I know what you're thinking, but I promise I won't make it worse. Lily needs our sympathy. That may be enough to get the situation under control."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Penny-"

"Lily's a good kid. You don't have to apologize for her. This whole thing was just a huge mistake, and it's not the fault of any one of us alone."

Claire nodded gravely.

"Alright. Let me know the instant you find her. Call out to me, and I will hear you."

"Okay."

Before parting, Penumbra gave Claire a hug.

"You're not a bad person, Claire. Neither is Lily. I don't think I am either. We're just three people mixed up in something far larger than ourselves, but we can fix it. I _know_ we can."

She believed her own words, but that didn't change the fact that if she failed, the outcome could undo any progress they'd made, and worse still, tear them apart forever.

***TSFEW***

Penumbra was the first to find Lily, which was either lucky or very unlucky, depending on the currently unpredictable outcome of the encounter. She was hiding in a cave on the mountainside, just beneath a large lake. Her loud sniffling gave her away. Penumbra approached the cavern timidly.

"Lily? . . ."

"Don't come any closer! And don't call my mother . . ."

"I'm not calling your mother, Lily. We need to talk. Alone."

She scoffed.

"Why? Are you going to pretend to apologize to me so you can bring me back and have me locked up?"

"No, Lily. Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm dangerous."

"You didn't hurt anyone."

"I'm not stupid. I know what happened to the last person who went darkwings."

Penumbra sat down and wrapped her tail around her legs.

"Lily, your mother isn't going to harm you. She's worried about you. She wants you to be safe."

"But now she's afraid of me. She doesn't trust me. Didn't you see what happened? I . . . I'm not safe to be around."

Penumbra shook her head.

"Lily, nothing you did could be considered even remotely dangerous. You just yelled a little and got angry. That's what people do."

She started sobbing.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. You're no different from the majority of people on this earth. You faced a tough problem, and when the conclusion you came to was too difficult to face, you lashed out. We all want simple answers. We want good to be good and bad to be bad, and we want everything to be fair and right and clear. But the world is complex, and it's not just a matter of being the hero or the villain."

"But people do terrible things."

"Yes, they do, but even if you feel responsible for the worst of humanity, that doesn't mean it completely defines who you are."

"But I haven't been able to do good."

"It's very difficult for one person to change the world for the better, Lily, but that doesn't mean you haven't done good. And even if you think you've allowed bad things to happen, remember that some things are beyond your control. I've had horrible, horrible things happen to me, Lily, but it wasn't your fault. I appreciate that you want things to be better, and on some level I'm glad you realize that your predecessors have done wrong, but you're not defined by the actions of others, and I can see that you're ashamed on behalf of them. Lily, you're usually the first to suggest a compromise, because you want everyone to get along. That's just your nature. You may sometimes be misguided in the way you go about it, but you always try to find a solution, which means you want people to be happy. That's not a bad thing."

"Great. So I'm defending you _and_ the people who scarred you for life."

"No, Lily. You may defend the people you care about, but you're not defending their mistakes or their actions, necessarily. And I'm not the best example, because I _did_ try to accuse your mother of something she had no control over first of all, and second, I'm dating one of the people directly responsible for the near extinction of my species."

Lily sniffed. Penumbra smiled sadly and moved into the cave.

"Lily, I know it's hard for you to understand all of this, but remember that it's hard for me too, because there's not always a clear answer. I've done terrible things, and I've had terrible things done to me, but none of that is directly your fault. You can only be responsible for your own actions, and trust me, Lily, you have nothing to feel guilty about."

"You're just trying to make me feel better."

"Kind of. But that's the point, really. I care about you, Lily, and I want us to be friends. Can we at least try?"

". . . Okay."

Lily emerged from the darkness, wings gray and drooping. Penumbra moved forward for a hug.

"I'm gl-"

Too late, she realized that her advance appeared brusque, and the still on-edge Lily took it as a potential attack. She darted backwards, shooting bursts of light from her mouth, and though none were specifically aimed at Penumbra, she covered her head and hit the ground. One blast struck the cave's ceiling, and there was a threatening rumble from the stone. Lily sprinted away, but Penumbra's path was blocked by a falling boulder, which was joined by several more until she found herself trapped behind a rock wall, once again thrust into her worst nightmare of darkness and isolation. This in itself was bad enough, but Penumbra realized her feet were wet, and as she searched for a way out, the water level began to rise noticeably.

"Lily!"

No reply.

"Lily, help!"

". . . No."

Penumbra stopped digging at the pile of rocks. She took two fearful breaths, then got ahold of herself.

"Lily, please. I need your help. I'm going to drown."

"Fine. Then it'll be me and my mom, and I won't have to worry about all this."

The water was up to her knees now. She pawed at the fallen rocks with little success.

"Please, Lily. The only way to fix this is to let me out. We can work through this. I _know_ we can. Nothing good will come from letting me die."

"That's not true. You deserve this."

Penumbra caught her breath, then slowly slipped back on all fours and stared down at the rising water, though she could not see it in the darkness. She felt tears slipping down her cheeks, but for once, her voice was steady and calm.

"You're right, Lily. I've done horrible things, and I _do_ deserve to die this way. I admit it, and in any other situation, I would have accepted it with grace. But the consequences of my actions are far worse than I could have imagined, because I've made you into what _I_ was so many years ago. I used to feel the same way you do, Lily, but I know from personal experience that hate doesn't make the pain go away. On some level, I knew that revenge wouldn't heal the hurt I was feeling, but I told myself that getting even with your mother was the right thing to do. In the end, I hurt myself most of all. I became like those who broke me, and now I've made you the same way too . . . but . . . I hope I'm wrong. If my death brings you any kind of peace, I can't tell you how relieved I'll be, but I'm afraid that this will be the beginning of your misery, just as it was for me. I have no way of expressing the guilt I feel, knowing I've ruined your life like my life was ruined, but I want you to know that it's not your fault. Not entirely. I know I said we're responsible for our actions, but I understand what it's like to be driven to these extremes. I felt so alone, so helpless . . . When the world appears unfair by design, you do what you have to do to survive, because you haven't experienced the good. I was so lucky to meet your mother, Lily, because she showed me the goodness I had been deprived of. She risked her life to save me, even though I wouldn't have done the same for her at the time. For some reason, she believed there was goodness inside of me too, that it wasn't dead and buried after all those years of pain . . . and I think she was right. I tried so hard to be good, Lily, because I was relieved and overjoyed that someone was willing to give me a chance. For the first time in years, I had faith in others and in myself. I believed I could be better. And you can too, Lily. Regardless of what happens here tonight, don't you ever go on believing that you're incapable of goodness. I've seen it in you, but I made you doubt it. I made you believe that doing wrong was in your nature, but it's not, Lily. You _can_ be good. Even if I die tonight, that doesn't mean you're beyond redemption. I just hope you can see the goodness in yourself sooner than I did."

The water had reached her chin. Her mind was racing, struggling to pick out the most important thoughts that she couldn't quite put into words at the moment, but she realized her time was short, and although she had much more to say, she would soon be cut off by the rising water.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I mean that. I'm sorry for making you hate yourself, I'm sorry for hurting you and your family, and I'm sorry about the stupid ball and the stupid circus and-"

The rest of her sentence came out in bubbles. Penumbra drifted downwards, forcing out her final breath to make the whole ordeal as quick as possible, but she was suddenly pulled to the side by a strong current, which was actually just water pouring out of the cave's mouth (the entrance was open again thanks to a blast of magic). As Penumbra sputtered and coughed, Lily came rushing over, weeping noisily.

"Oh, Penumbra, I almost killed you!"

"Agh. No, you d- ACK! ACK! ACK!"

She choked out the last of the water, then felt Lily's arms constrict her torso in a desperate embrace.

"I almost let you die because of a stupid ball . . ."

"No, Lily, I know you wouldn't have gone through with it. You wouldn't . . ."

She sobbed into Penumbra's chest, nose dripping and eyes swollen. Penumbra patted her head gently.

"It's okay. It's okay. No harm done . . . No harm done . . ."

Lily gasped as she sensed the arrival of her mother, which was announced by a deep thump. Claire folded her wings calmly.

"What's going on? Why is everyone wet?"

Lily took a few panicked breaths, but as she began to speak, Penumbra cut her off.

"I went looking for Lily in that cave. There was an avalanche, and Lily rescued me. Everything's fine now."

She looked at Lily.

"I mean, I assume it is? . . ."

Lily nodded and squeezed her gratefully.

"Yeah, so we're safe and sound- a little cold, maybe- but basically fine. It's been kind of a rough night, so I think it would be best to head home and get some rest."

"And tomorrow?" Claire asked.

"I'd rather forget this whole thing. What's important is that no one was hurt. I don't think it would do us any good to argue about it."

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Well, I suppose we'll be reflecting upon our own actions for a while, but aside from that, I generally agree that pointing fingers isn't going to solve anything."

Lily wiped her nose with the back of her foot.

"It's okay, Mama. I know this is my fault. This time, I mean it. I was so worried about being the bad guy that I . . . well . . ."

Penumbra nudged her gently.

"Hey. Don't worry about that now. We've learned our lesson for the time being, and regardless of what happened, we're friends. I don't want you to feel bad about this."

"But I _should_."

"I don't _want_ you to. I want you to be happy."

Lily sniffled, then nodded.

"I want you to be happy, too."

"Good. Then let's try our best to be happy, and if something goes wrong . . . Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Lily shut her eyes and turned away with shame.

"That doesn't sound like a real solution."

"Maybe not. But we can find a better one in time. We have an eternity, after all."

Claire nodded.

"Very true. Now, why don't we head home and try to get some sleep?"

She turned away, and relief washed over all three of them. For tonight, at least, they would leave the matter alone.

Although their world was complex, painful, and messy beyond belief, they somehow managed to get along for quite some time. And why shouldn't they? After all, they were just three people, and though the society they belonged to was strange and difficult to comprehend, they were only a very small part of it. Although there was no guarantee they'd make an impact, they would continue to do good, if only for the benefit of each other.

That was just the kind of thing friends did.


	36. By The Light Of A Full Moo

The sky would have been beautiful, if it had been a sky at all. The massive expanse of darkness with the occasional freckle of light was no less awe-inspiring than the true night sky, but no matter how similar in appearance it was to the heavens above, anyone who knew its true nature would find themselves disgusted by the illusion it upheld. There is perhaps nothing more unsettling than the newfound awareness that some seemingly innocuous aspect of our lives is in fact specifically designed to maintain a kind of simple-minded satisfaction within those who allow themselves to be drawn in, like a brightly-painted slaughterhouse or a bowl of wasabi you unfortunately mistook for guacamole. The point being, once the sinister side of an appealing object is revealed, it can never be beautiful again.

It is difficult for a person to tell when they are being deceived, as a mistake of any kind tends to make them look foolish. Is the rippling moonlight on a lake caused by a falling leaf, or is a monster swimming in the murk? Is the gentle whisper in the air the result of a change in the wind's direction, or is a dragon scouting the area? Is that shrub supposed to be green with brown spots, or is it hiding a Stegoceratops?

Really, the only important question is whether or not it's worth being wrong. Do you tend to err on the side of caution, or claim that everything is under control, no matter the situation? You can be paranoid, or you can be dead.

It was clear that a select group of people had chosen the latter, as they were, for the most part, dead. Not only were they dead, but some of them had died several times over, not that it mattered too much. To let oneself die in Asterpara was more a sign of foolishness than anything else, for it took a great deal of effort to return to the world of the living. Not as much effort as you might initially believe, but still quite a bit. And that's why the ballroom's attendants were dancing on a volcano- not a literal volcano, as they were celebrating inside a castle on a lake- but they were nonetheless dancing, and in more ways than one. The metaphorical volcano, in this case, was the sky, which was _not_ a sky, but rather, the ceiling of a massive cave that had been cloaked with a rather convincing illusion. It wasn't a difficult spell, and it was not the worst charm a person could cast, but there were at least two people beneath it that had reason to loathe it above all other magical deceptions. They were crouching outside of the castle a few yards away and many yards above, watching the creatures-turned-human dancing in the brightly-lit ballroom. One couple in particular was of interest to them. They crossed a set of windows in a too-fast waltz that might have been an indication that at least one of them knew there was something going on that night, and if they both did, that complicated the issue.

The man swept his partner off her feet, subtly moving them out of view.

There was the proof, then. This could be very bad, indeed.

Karen knew she was in trouble, but tried not to look anxious when she was led away from her sister's line of sight. Her partner, a very dangerous man, smiled slowly. It was an awful grin. She wondered how he had learned to do it, smiling like a regular person would. As far as she knew, bulls didn't have front teeth. Then again, bulls didn't often change shape either.

"You're looking faint, my dear. Is something wrong?"

She didn't know what had given her away, but she was certain that no matter what she did from this point on, he would somehow detect her fear through some gesture too subtle to be controlled. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Why does something always have to be wrong? Why can't we just be happy?"

He stroked her hair.

"Oh, we could be happy, I'm sure . . . Only you seem to have a hard time trusting me."

Karen forced a smile.

"Weren't you the one who asked if something was wrong?"

"You could have just said no. But you didn't, did you? I was simply making conversation, and now I can't help but feel that you're up to something."

Karen rolled her eyes.

"What could I possibly hope to accomplish?"

"On your own? Nothing. I'm sure your friends are waiting outside, ready for some signal or cue. The most you can do is call on someone else . . ."

"I-"

"Let me finish. You cannot hope to accomplish a thing, Karen, because you haven't realized your full potential. They won't let you. But I . . . I believe you're capable of so much more."

Karen began to squirm out of his grasp.

"I'm married-"

He grabbed her arm. She froze.

"So what? Is it really such a loss? What does that fool have that I don't?"

"Well, he's not an animal, for one thing . . ."

"We're _all_ animals. We have the same instincts, the same urges . . ."

"Save it. I'm with Lowery."

He clicked his tongue.

"Such a pity. You would make a fine heifer. But I suppose that's always been your sister's thing . . ."

"Don't call me a cow."

He laughed.

"Oh, someday, you'll be mine. All I have to do is wait. Eventually, you'll tire of your human mate and your pathetic offspring. Now that they've been allowed to age somewhat, they're no longer your responsibility anyway."

"They may have aged, but they'll never grow up."

"I see. Perhaps your three children should go the way of the one that had an 'accident'. Tell me, have you forgiven Ellie for what she did to you?"

Karen frowned.

"When she wakes up, I'll let you know . . ."

He put his hand on her cheek.

"Poor Karen. You're stuck with two adults whom you had to raise through adolescence twice, a child long forgotten on a beach somewhere, and whatever the last child is all about. It doesn't even warrant mentioning. Do you know that the dragon hasn't so much as revealed its name? Is it a boy or a girl? We'll never know."

"I don't like to involve my family in the story."

"You'd think she would have mentioned your child at some point. I mean, it was delivered by Judy Greer, so how does that fit into the canon? Seems like it would make for a good story, but I'm not the one in charge- AM I?"

Without even turning his head, he reached back and grabbed one of the dancers by the hood. She yelped and dropped her phone, then lifted her arms in surrender.

"Wow, I had no idea you were here too. Small world, huh?"

"Elkay, this is the Beneath. I am the King of the Beneath. You've been narrating within a few feet of Karen and I all evening. You're not fooling anyone."

She quirked a brow.

"What if this is all a ruse to make you _think_ I'm being caught, when really-"

Two guards leapt forward and held spears to her throat. She gulped.

"Okay, you caught me."

"Take her away."

She was dragged out of the ballroom by her elbows, pouting like a child.

"I should have been invited to this party, you know! I've slept with over half of the people in this r-"

The doors slammed shut. The bull-man turned to Karen with a smile.

"Well, whatever you had planned, it doesn't matter now. I'm interested in continuing this date, even if it _is_ a ruse . . ."

Karen glanced at the door. He coiled his arms around her.

". . . not that you have a choice."

***TSFEW***

Meanwhile, Elkay was brought through the front gate, heels dragging. Out of nowhere, she began to thrash around violently until she was able to break free and dart into the bushes like a madwoman. The guards followed, charging straight into the foliage. There was the sound of a struggle, and Elkay soon emerged from the brush with two entirely new guards at her tail. She gave them a salute, then tossed her decoy phone into the forest, where it landed on a barely-conscious man, who grunted in pain. She conked him on the head for good measure, then gave a signal call as the new guards resumed their post.

"Ca-CAW! Ca-CAW!"

"You promised not to make bird sounds."

She glowered sourly.

"Yeah, and _you_ promised to be here an hour ago, but instead I'm stuck listening to the bull's creepy sex-talk in a poorly-concealed dramatic power play. Shut up and be guards, why don't you?"

***TSFEW***

The call was relayed from the mountain overlooking the castle to the sea surrounding it. From the water sprang Zara, leaping across the waves like a dolphin with her husband clinging to her hair like the world's strangest jockey. When they were close enough to the main water gate, he climbed her tail and allowed himself to be catapulted onto the main tower, where he ran directly down the length of a stone bridge by plowing through a line of guards using his dome-head.

***TSFEW***

"You would like it, you know . . . living down here with me. I can give you power beyond your wildest dreams . . ."

Karen winced as his hands slid down her dress.

***TSFEW***

In hybrid form, Lowery swung his neck to launch himself into the air, changing into a human halfway to make the leap effective. He shifted forms again, bridging the gap between two watch towers with his saurian length, then shrunk once more to skirt the ledge outside of the ballroom. He peered through one of the windows and saw Karen struggling to escape a firm embrace.

***TSFEW***

"You can be so much more . . ."

***TSFEW***

Massive feet thundered down a stretch of land. The silhouette of a hadrosaur-type hybrid was made visible with each lightning bolt that illuminated far-away clouds. She was spotted by a set of scouts on a boat near the center of the lake, who began to pursue her. Little did they know that directly behind them, a sail had pierced the water. Rising to a bipedal pose, Sarah spread her arms as though calling upon the forces of the sea. She glided across the surface of the water without taking a single step. The mosasaur she was standing on soon became visible, along with several more behind it.

Vivian couldn't make out what was happening down on the lake, but judging by the screams, Sarah had done her part, and the lowering drawbridge indicated that the same was true of Vic.

***TSFEW***

"We'll have forever . . ."

***TSFEW***

When Vivian cleared the gate, Lowery dropped onto her back. He reached into his back pocket and tossed something at the main door. It hissed before exploding in a massive inferno. The two of them crossed the blaze without so much as flinching, then charged down the hall. They skidded to a stop when they were faced with a row of henchmen. After a beat, the two guards on each end of the line changed into dragons and wrapped the unsuspecting men in their yellow coils, squeezing the life out of them. A third dragon trotted onto the scene, nibbling a chocolate bar casually.

"Everything good?"

Her father grunted.

"Yeah, we just suffocated a bunch of goons, but I'm sure you have concerns of your own."

"I'm not sure if we're ripping off Shrek 2 or spy movies in general. The techno music suggests the latter, but we may have been unable to afford a licensed song."

"Oh, for the love of god, piss off!"

"Duly noted. Ca-CAW! Ca-CAW!"

***TSFEW***

It was then that Claire and Owen leapt off the mountain, spreading their wings in unison as they descended from the sky. Their antlers glimmered with moonlight, only it wasn't the real Moon that lit the scene. Claire knew this without a doubt, because the Moon was a friend of hers.

They skimmed the lake, wingtips dipping into the water, then crossed an invisible boundary just as it began to fall, courtesy of Vivian and Lowery, and finally tucked their wings against their bodies to prepare for a messy landing. They crashed through a stained glass window at the head of the ballroom, landing among the shocked guests with a definitive thump. The bull-man turned, startled, but soon regained his composure.

"My Queen . . ."

Claire marched forward.

"Give us the orb."

He reached into his coat pocket and tossed a blue sphere across the room. Owen caught it in his mouth.

"No need to get upset," the bull-man muttered, "I was just borrowing it."

"Dare I ask what for?"

He shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe I had some sinister magic planned. Maybe I wanted to prove I could take it without any interference. Maybe I wanted a night out with your lovely sister, who is quite a looker, I must say . . ."

Karen squeaked as he grabbed her rear. He shoved her across the floor. She quickly found shelter behind Claire.

"You can have her back. She's grown tiresome. I wish you had at least given me the chance to see how far she'd go to deceive me. A lay is a lay."

Claire's frown deepened.

"Big talk, but I know you're just trying to rile me up. It won't work."

"Then you don't intend to fight your way out?"

"I'm ninety. I'm too old for this shit."

"I noticed. Nice spots, by the way."

"Fuck off."

"No, you."

He snapped his fingers. A cage rose from the floor and shut itself around Claire and Owen. Karen fell backwards, but was not caught in the trap. After ramming her head against the bars unsuccessfully, Claire lowed with fury.

"Hey! Elkay!"

The dragon glanced at her from the banquet table, where she was pocketing a handful of assorted candies.

"Uh . . . Busy? . . ."

Claire sighed.

"Fine."

She changed into a human and stepped through the bars with ease. Owen did the same. The bull-man seemed genuinely thrown off by this development.

"You . . . oh . . ."

Claire nodded impatiently.

"Yeah, I know. I'm usually fat. Can we just get this over with?"

He snorted, changing shape. He dug his hoof into the marble and tossed his head.

"When you're ready."

"Just tell me when."

"Ladies first."

"After you."

To make a long story short, they ended up charging simultaneously, and what followed was the most brutal duel that had ever taken place in the Beneath.

Nevertheless, Elkay somehow found time to clear the rest of the table.


	37. All Claired Up

Penumbra lifted her head with surprise as Claire burst through the library doors, trotting down the longest stretch of carpet with a confident and somewhat irritated stride.

"Did you get it?"

Claire planted a blue orb on Penumbra's open book unceremoniously.

"Yep."

Penumbra turned the sphere over between her feet curiously, searching for a point of interest.

"Why did he take it?"

"No idea. I highly suspect he didn't have anything resembling a plan. He'll never admit it, but it seems like he's just fucking around."

"He still thinks he's your villain, I guess."

Claire groaned.

"He can't take a hint. I mean, it'd be one thing if he actually intended to _do_ something that threatened the world as we know it, but as is, he's just wasting my time with pointless side quests. I don't know if he thinks I secretly enjoy it or if he's just looking for something to do . . ."

Elkay slithered through the doors.

"Oh, come on, Claire. He's a nice guy. He's not a real threat, but he somehow pulls off being a fake-villain better than Zebil."

"Probably because he's not being forced to," Claire remarked flatly.

Elkay shrugged.

"I needed conflict. You're lucky you get yours for free."

"If by 'free' you mean 'costs me my entire evening' . . ."

"Meh. It could be worse. I'd much rather deal with a friendly villain than someone who _actually_ wants us dead, such as one of my vengeful children, friends, parents, extended family, ex-lovers, current lovers, potential lovers . . ."

"Has it ever occurred to you that instead of tagging along on these pointless missions, a better use of your time would be to repair some of your personal relationships?"

Elkay chuckled.

"Well, you know how it is: when you've been around for as long as I have, the little things start to lose meaning. You gain perspective over the years. Interpersonal relationships may seem important to a mortal, since a shorter lifespan means the consequences of committing to a lost cause have more impact, but after a thousand years or so, you start to realize that the pain and humiliation of your mistakes will be forgotten with time, and the people involved will most likely move on, die, or get converted into a fancy rug once their insides have been removed to feed starving children in third world countries. I mean, life goes on, right?"

Claire narrowed her eyes.

"Right . . ."

"I mean, it's possible things will be different for you. You already learned what it takes to be a good parent while also balancing work and an active social life, so you're pretty much set to go. I started out normal and became disillusioned with humanity later in life, but you started off as a bitch and became pretty chill, so that's, like, the opposite of my life or something."

Penumbra rumbled in warning.

"Elkay, Claire wasn't a bitch."

"Nobody likes a stegoceratops."

Penumbra glared at her.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, I was just quoting Claire. If you want, I could do a supercut of all the times she called hybrids fat or stupid or ugly."

Claire curled her tail around her ankle.

"I was talking about myself . . . and . . . and I was foolish back then. I thought being human was the only way I'd be accepted."

"Yeah, as I recall, you said that a Stegoceratops was the worst possible animal you could have become."

"That was before I knew about blobfish. Also, I was an all-around ignorant person."

"Kinda racist, too."

"Was not!"

"You were, and still are. Just the other day, I heard you say 'camel-fucker'."

"I was referring to _you_! You were _literally fucking a camel!_ "

"Dromedary, Claire. I only humped him once . . . That's how that works, right? . . ."

Penumbra rapped her spikes on the table impatiently.

"Guys, settle down. We shouldn't be arguing. Every one of us-"

"-has done something awful," Elkay finished, "I know. How many times do we have to bring up the same themes? Plus, it's not like it's the greatest moral in the first place. It would be different if we actually _stuck_ to our resolutions, but here I am moving in and out of relationships while Penumbra feels uncomfortable about her past mistakes and Claire ignores her family."

Claire scoffed with offense.

"I don't see how you can say that Penumbra hasn't changed when she started out- forgive me for bringing this up to make a point- started out wanting to _kill_ me as revenge for letting her people die. So what if she's a little remorseful? That doesn't mean she hasn't _changed_. In fact, it means the exact opposite! Also, when have I _ignored_ my family?"

Elkay hummed.

"I dunno. Bull-boy was groping Karen pretty liberally before we crashed his party. I don't know much about this thing you call 'empathy', but it seems like the kind of thing you should follow up on."

Claire sighed.

"Elkay, I warned her what she was getting into, and she still volunteered to be the decoy. She wouldn't let me say no."

"Probably because she's desperate to prove herself by taking on a role that's way above her comfort level."

There was a pause.

"Just throwing that out there. I could be mistaken, but it seems like a thing some characters might do."

After a moment, Claire shook her head.

"She would have said something."

"Alright, then," Elkay chirped, "Less work for me. It's impossible to keep track of all these storylines, you know. Ever since we decided to extend the lives of important characters, nobody's arc has had a proper resolution. I almost wish we could kill a few people off to make things less complex."

"Elkay . . ."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. All I'm trying say is that it gets hard to narrate a streamline story when you have so many subplots going on. I mean, Luke went from being a bookworm to a rebel without a cause, essentially swapping places with June, who seems to be the tender half of the relationship despite being a former murderer, and then you got Jar Jar Binks trying to prove himself to Owen after having cut out his vocal cords, and I guess Tammy-Lynn and James are Stegoceratopses now for some reason, and of course Claire's half sister is working in Switzerland with some kind of ski-based spy corporation, and my parents are still living on the island despite their constant abuse and attempted world domination . . . not to mention we never found the mystery narrator, though he seems to be uninterested in us presently, even though the Park world and World world are pretty much fully integrated and thus a prime target for narrational terrorism . . . Oh, and Penny's pregnant."

Claire's eyes went wide.

"PENNY'S-"

Penumbra waved her foot dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah . . . I was gonna surprise you, but I knew something like this would happen. The dragons tends to flap her gums without considering _who_ knows _what_. C'est la vie. As you know, I tend to be private about my love life-"

Elkay dipped her head down.

"-which is why Monsanto couldn't find the courage to propose to you until we were facing off with a giant lyre bird whose music caused mass depression across the U.S., and we had to organize a rock and roll concert to make everyone happy again but it wasn't enough and in order to push the happiness level just a fraction higher, Monsanto proposed to you at the last possible second and your happiness blasted the lyre bird's face off and there were rainbows and sunbeams and shit."

Claire and Penumbra looked at Elkay, then back at each other.

"Yeah, so _that_ happened," Claire said, "But Penny, how long have you known you were pregnant?"

"Only a few days," she replied with a shrug, "I still don't know the details yet. Maybe Elkay can help by using her magic or something? . . ."

The dragon placed her chin on folded paws, which in turn were propped up by her tail.

"What do you want to know?"

"Is it a girl or a boy?"

"Yes."

Penumbra rolled her eyes.

"No, Elkay, I mean is it a girl OR a boy?"

Elkay's eyes darted briefly to the side and back again.

". . . Yes."

Claire snorted.

"She's doing Boolean answers. Watch and learn."

She marched up to the dragon and cleared her throat.

"Elkay, is it a girl or a boy?"

"Yes."

"Is it a girl?"

"Yes."

"Ha!" Claire whooped, "So Penumbra is having a girl."

". . . Kind of? . . ."

Claire tensed up.

"What do you mean, ' _kind of_ '?"

Elkay's ears drooped.

"Well, it's not _just_ a girl . . ."

Claire batted her eyes.

"Do you mean . . . intersex? . . ."

"No, I mean it's both."

"Yeah: intersex."

Elkay slapped her forehead.

"No! It's twins! Penumbra is having twins! Sheesh!"

Claire's face brightened.

"Pennyyyyyyyyy!"

Penumbra gagged as Claire squeezed her in a bear hug.

"Agh! Claire! I can't breathe . . ."

"Oh, Penny, I'm so happy for you!" Claire squealed, "You and Monsanto are gonna have TWINS!"

Elkay beamed proudly.

"It just goes to show that love is always possible, even when it's between a victim of genocide and a Nazi."

Claire whipped her head around.

"ELKAY! Why do you say these things? . . ."

"Well, okay, not a _literal_ Nazi . . ."

"Elkay."

"Maybe, like, a less obvious kind of Nazi?"

"Oh my god. Elkay."

"I don't know if there's any way to gently compare someone to a Nazi."

"Elkay, no."

"Nationalsozialist?"

"Elkay, stop."

"Alt-right?"

"ELKAY!"

She waved her paw breezily.

"Yeah, you're right. It's 2075. Time to move on."

"Thank you."

She held up a claw.

" _Soviet allegories_ are the way of the future. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm open to appropriating all _kinds_ of tragedies, but there's only so many times you can exploit the popular ones."

Claire slapped her forehead and winced. Penumbra patted her shoulder gently.

"Ignore her, Claire. You know she just says these things to get a rise out of you."

Elkay dipped her head between them.

"Yeah, it's easy to play on your guilt, considering you allowed an ethnic cleansing to happen right under your-"

Penumbra decked Elkay without turning her head.

"Our past is as messy as it is in any other world, but the important thing is to remain vigilant. It's tempting to believe that history will never repeat itself, but it happens. I mean, look at all the people who said society was too advanced to allow fascism to gain traction in modern times. The only thing keeping it in check was our ability to spot the warning signs, but lo and behold, we were so confident in our own morality that we ignored them, and now we have Elkay."

The dragon snuffed and crossed her arms.

"Well played, Penumbra, but I'm not the one with antlers and wings . . . Um, _feathered_ wings, I mean. If you're going to hold someone to task for the fate of the world, it ought to be Claire, don't you think? I mean, she _did_ let the embodiment of all things evil escape the Beneath when she rescued you from the bull way back when, and we haven't seen it since."

Claire frowned.

"Elkay, that thing isn't dangerous. There's not a person alive that can match my power level, and Elymas can only challenge me if he takes a . . . _non-gaseous_ form."

"Forget the evil cloud, everyone," Elkay jeered, "I'm super special because I have antlers and wings, even though I had to turn the last Queen to stone when Elymas infected her soul."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Elkay, Ellie was in a vulnerable state of mind when she was infected. She had darkness in her heart because the world was crumbling around her."

"Yeah, and she was super powerful at the time, so you don't get to claim invulnerability just because you're God."

Claire snorted.

"Elkay, I'm in control, here."

"Alright, Miss Smartypants, what happens if Elymas infects someone you know? You can't kill a loved one."

"Nobody I care about has a capacity for evil."

"What about me?"

". . . Nobody I _care_ about has a capacity for evil."

Elkay sighed noisily.

"You and your banter . . . Listen, Claire, I know you think this is just another villain, but it's so much more than that. We know that Elymas is capable of infecting pretty much _anyone_ under the right circumstances, and what's most worrisome to me is that it seems to have something to do with gods going darkwings. Probably dark-antlers, too, if I had to guess. You say that nobody you care about is capable of turning bad, but I know for a fact that you cared about Ellie, and if we really want to get into the worst-case scenario, we can't ignore the fact that Lily went darkwings, too-"

Claire stomped her foot.

"Enough, Elkay. Stop trying to scare me. Ellie may have been darkwings when she was infected-"

"Or gone darkwings _because_ she was infected."

"-but that doesn't _mean_ anything. Elymas is just some evil cloud that latches onto people with darkness in their hearts. If I wanted to, I could turn anyone I know back to my side, because the people closest to me are- essentially- good. You think you're so knowledgeable about magic because you fucked a cloud and made a bunch of snakes that bit people and forced evil cloud-bits to go into them, but I understand what people are _really_ like. No matter how much cloud-stuff is in their soul, they can _always_ be talked out of doing evil."

"What about Ellie?"

Claire let out a sigh.

"Ellie was a god. I couldn't remove Elymas without killing her. Now that I'm the most powerful being in the universe-"

"- _you're_ his next target."

Claire didn't reply. Elkay draped a wing over her back.

"Claire, I admire your confidence, but confidence can be a very dangerous thing. Evil is unpredictable. Even those who have never been exposed to Elymas have wisps of darkness floating around inside of them. If anything, inherent darkness is _less_ manageable than an infection. Point is, we can't expect to defeat all evil, because evil presents itself in a deceptive manner. You can never be sure where it will manifest. If it grows within you, you might not even realize it, because from your point of view, you'd be in the right. That's the danger of over-confidence, Claire. It makes us less vigilant."

They both turned as Penumbra cleared her throat.

"Funny you should mention that, because I was reading through this book of ours, and I reached a passage about Elymas and The Star, and it mentioned something called Katharos-"

Elkay went rigid.

"No . . . No, no, no! This can't be happening!"

Claire bit her lower beak.

"What is it?"

Elkay turned toward her slowly.

"Claire . . . Katharos . . . It's the apocalypse . . ."

"WHAT?!"

"And _you're_ the one who's going to start it."


	38. Claire Butt For The Grace Of God

"I'm going to start the _apocalypse_?!" Claire gasped.

Elkay cocked her head, letting one ear fall to the side loosely.

"You said that like we just got back from a commercial break or something."

"Chapter break," Claire replied flatly, "And can you _please_ answer my question?"

Elkay sighed.

"Fine. Katharos was mentioned in several prophecies as a bringer of doom. It appears to be an event _and_ a person, kind of like Woodstock."

"My god . . ." Penumbra whispered.

"I don't like Peanuts either," Elkay admitted, "Of course, prophecies tend to be phrased weirdly, but they always come true in one way or another. Several sources agree that Katharos will bring about the end of the World, which means our days might be numbered."

Claire waved her front foot with agitation.

"Wait, wait, wait. How do you even know this prophecy is accurate? What if there's a trick in the phrasing or something? Show me the documents so I can see for myself."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"I ate them."

Claire blinked.

"You . . . _ate_ them?"

"Yes, I put them in my mouth, chewed them up a little, then swallowed them."

"I know what eating is!" Claire snapped, "What I don't understand is why you would _do_ such a thing!"

Elkay winced, whining uncomfortably.

"I wasn't thinking straight, okay?! When the prophecy about Ellie's defeat turned out to be true, I had a moment of weakness. I decided that if there was no way to change the future, I'd be better off removing any temptation to look ahead, since reading a self-fulfilling prophecy would make me guilty of completing it."

"What if you were _supposed_ to read the ones you ate?!" Claire barked.

"Impossible. Prophecies are _always_ true, so the information that ended up in my belly was not going to be useful for planning a sequence of events, unless we can find a way to recover it."

"What about the narration?"

"I ate that, too."

Claire groaned.

"Fine, okay . . . Wait, what if you do a flashback to when you read the prophecy? Detailed flashbacks can be carried out in our medium without being considered narration, or at least not direct narration like the one you ate. A retrospective narration would allow us to access the missing prophecies in their complete state."

Elkay grinned excitedly.

"That's brilliant, Claire! Here, let me try . . ."

She scrunched up her face, eye twitching.

***TSFEW***

 _Elkay placed her paw on the yellowed page. Her black-tipped claw traced each line as she read the ancient text, which said-_

 _-something she'd never be able to remember word for word, because her past self ate the flashback narration, then ate the memory of the action so that her future self would be surprised by this punchline._

***TSFEW***

Elkay slammed her paw on the library table.

"Oh, COME ON! That wasn't even funny . . ."

The corners of Claire's mouth sagged. Her tail became a limp pendulum as she sighed deeply.

"Elkay, you may not have the exact words, but can you tell me why you think that this Katharos thing is me?"

The dragon's ears folded backwards as she looked away uncomfortably.

"Well, the text said something along the lines of 'Katharos will bring about the chaos of Katharos', referring to the person and event-"

"How do you know?"

"It's an educated guess, based on the way the sentence is formatted-"

"No. How do you know it's _me_?"

"The prophecy was very clear about what kind of animal Katharos resembles. It said she was- _would be_ \- a wingèd creature adorned with plates most fearsome upon her back, with curvèd horns and a tail lined with blades much sharper, donning a gaze as cold as death, otherwise recognized by an evil mark placed upon her brow. That sounds like a Stegoceratops to me."

Claire pondered this for a moment before stomping her foot in objection.

"It can't be me. I don't have an evil mark on my forehead."

Elkay tightened her beak skeptically.

"You had a crack on your frill, once. It's healed over now, of course, but it was replaced by your Sweet Spot, which could be considered a mark of sorts."

Claire shielded her frill with embarrassment.

"I don't remember telling you about my Sweet Spot . . ."

"Every Stegoceratops has a Sweet Spot," Penumbra chirped, perking up after a long silence, "Its location depends on where you received your first physical trauma. It appears where you're most broken."

"Does that have anything to do with the rape metaphor?" Elkay blurted out.

Penumbra stared at the dragon blankly.

". . . What? . . ."

"Oh, you know: I'm talking about your anatomy in the context of Stegoceratopses being a metaphor for rape. It seems like the Sweet Spot has something to do with that symbolism, considering it has violent origins and causes your muscles to relax when someone applies pressure to it- I assume it also opens the little trapdoor that covers your-"

Penumbra cleared her throat loudly.

"Elkay, where are you _getting_ this from?"

The dragon rolled her eyes.

"It's a well-known fact that Stegoceratops is a metaphor for rape. Look it up."

". . . In the dictionary of . . . what, exactly? _Your mind?_ "

Elkay wagged her claw sternly.

"Hey, I coined it, so that makes it canon by merit of originality. No one's disproven it thus far."

"Would they even think to do that? . . ." Penumbra asked uncertainly.

Claire shook her head.

"Penumbra, don't listen to Elkay. She's crazy."

"Nowhere does it say that Stegoceratops is NOT a metaphor for rape!"

Claire growled.

"Elkay, you can't honestly be suggesting that all Stegoceratopses have been raped . . ."

"Of course not."

"Good."

"Just metaphorically."

Claire slapped her forehead.

"Elkay, no . . ."

"It's canon, Claire."

"Why are you . . . ugh . . ."

"Canon."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'm just gonna go ahead and speculate that your metaphorical rape was anal."

"Oh, jesus."

"You took a metaphorical dick to the butt, Claire. That's why you act like there's a pole shoved up your ass."

"Why do you _say_ these things? . . ." Claire groaned.

"Just accept the metaphor, Claire, or I'll reveal the exact diameter of your rectum."

Claire let out a beleaguered sigh.

"Fine. I accept your stupid metaphor. This conversation is creepy enough without having to hear you admit that you're familiar with very specific and _scarily accurate_ aspects of Stegoceratops biology."

"Even creepier when you consider that I wasn't referring to Stegoceratopses in general."

Claire gazed at her for a long time, then turned away.

"Apologies to the reader. I have no idea what the fuck just happened."

Elkay cuffed her testily.

"Hey! Talking to the theoretical audience is _my_ thing."

"So are metaphors related to anal rape, apparently."

"Okay, now you're _actively_ trying to make this awkward. You don't get to take out your anger on me just because you're the bringer of doom, you know."

"I'm NOT the bringer of doom!" Claire argued, "And if you want to get into psychoanalysis, why don't you mention the fact that dragons don't have buttonholes? What does _that_ mean, huh?"

Elkay scoffed, shaking her head with her eyes turned to the ceiling.

"First of all, you suck at psychoanalysis. If anything, the metaphorical dick up your butt was created by the Stegoceratops association to become the phallus necessary for the fulfilment of Owen's fetishistic desire, which he developed when he discovered that his mother had no penis."

"WHAT."

Elkay shrugged.

"Hey, I'm not the one who coined that. Take it up with Freud."

"I'm not sure Freud mentioned dinosaurs . . ."

"He _would_ have if he'd known about saurophiles. Or Claireophiles, in Owen's case, since he seems to bang you no matter what animal you are."

"I'm not an animal."

"We're ALL animals, Claire, and why the fuck are we still talking about sex?"

"I DON'T KNOW! I can only assume that you're having some kind of breakdown due to withdrawal!"

"Oh, sure, make fun of the dragon who's trying to quit cold six-foot-turkey. It's hard enough repressing the emptiness in my soul without you being a cunt about it!"

"You have NO right to say that."

"Sure, I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"Because that's not what friends do!"

Elkay squealed happily and lifted Claire into a bear hug.

"We're friends! . . ."

Claire snorted.

"Jesus, will we ever figure out what's wrong with you? . . ."

Penumbra cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Listen, you two, I know you have a complex relationship, but I think it's probably more urgent to focus on whatever this Katharos prophecy says."

Claire nodded.

"You're absolutely right. I mean, we're not even sure who it's about."

Elkay frowned.

"Well, Miss Denial, if you're still having trouble figuring it out: Katharos means 'clear'. Do you know what _other_ name means 'clear'? . . ."

She glared flatly.

"Genevive?"

Elkay dropped her unceremoniously.

"Very funny."

Meanwhile, Penumbra had wandered away, assuming the conversation wasn't particularly pertinent to her. Her attention was soon drawn to a different area of the room, where a blank wall was becoming . . . _less_ so. One by one, fiery letters crossed the paint until they spelled out a sinister phrase, which Penumbra read aloud.

"The Cataclysmic Reign Of Elymas."

Elkay and Claire turned their heads at the same time.

"What is _that_?" Claire whispered.

"That's the title card," Elkay breathed, "You can tell because the capitalization is incorrectly assigned to all words. Not even the French are crazy enough to do _that_ . . . Also, the timing of that reveal could NOT have been more misplaced. I mean, we haven't even left the room, so there goes the pacing . . ."

Claire shot her a look. She coughed.

"Right, well, I suppose that's not important when there's a sinister message being etched in flame."

Penumbra stepped closer to the wall, trembling lightly.

"What does it mean? . . ."

"Well, first of all, I was right," Elkay boasted, "And on that note, the world is about to end, so I might not even have time to say 'I told you so'."

"You literally just did," Claire said as she strode calmly towards the burning text, "But never mind that now. We must find out who wrote this message, and whether or not it's indicative of the current state of affairs."

"Geez, Claire, isn't that a little wordy?"

She wheeled around, plates bristling.

"I WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S ABOUT ME, OKAY?! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, YOU MISERABLE DRAGON?!"

Her ears drooped.

"No. I live in constant misery."

Claire tossed her head and lowed with agitation.

"The question of whether this threat is worth our concern is irrelevant right now; it could be nothing or it could be something, but no matter how serious this is, I don't like it, and I want to get to the bottom of this."

She raised her foot as Elkay opened her mouth.

"My statement was confusing. I know. I'm kind of stressed out right now."

Penumbra stood tall, lifting her chin and puffing out her chest just a little too dramatically.

"Claire, I'm going to read through the rest of the book and see if there's anything that can help us. Since this genius dragon decided to eat material she knew had the potential to be self-fulfilling, she stupidly robbed us of knowledge that may have been the key to saving the world. The least we can do is figure out whether or not her apocalyptic ramblings are accurate or complete and utter bull. Whatever the case may be, I choose to believe that this situation- if there even _is_ a situation- is reversible, no matter what some dusty, old piece of parchment says. In the years I've known you, you've proven time and time again that you are capable of breaching the impossible, and it is my sincere belief that you have been given the means to combat whatever forces seek to destroy us. My faith is not the only proof I have: your destiny is as clear as the wings on your back and the antlers on your head. The Star chose you for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, because there's already so much that makes you special. You've crossed the globe many times over, cheated death twice, and most importantly, you changed what was in my heart. I don't care if defying fate is an impossibility, because I am positive that you, Claire, can stick it to the impossible. I believe in you, and I'm with you every step of the way."

Penumbra gazed ahead proudly, expecting her words to reignite Claire's spirits, but instead, she nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, Penumbra. While you do your research, I'll consult with any available Asterparan elders to see if they can provide additional information. Good luck. See you later."

She turned and lumbered out of the library, tail dragging. Penumbra watched her leave with worry in her eyes. She barely noticed Elkay dipping her head down with an equally concerned expression.

"There's a woman who just took a massive dick to the bum of the mind."


	39. Clairevoyant

Claire traveled to the Communications Tower of the Visitors' Center Palace to send a message to the Asterparan elders. Speaking into what looked like a pink plasma ball (after all these years, Claire had barely even scratched the surface when researching spells and general magic), she deliberately highlighted the importance of recent events, hoping she could convey a sense of urgency without sounding helpless or panicked. She was banking on a speedy response, but wasn't particularly keen to incite riots by overstating the imminent danger. Tone was especially important when dealing with these kinds of issues.

Claire sometimes wondered why a civilized society that predated her own hadn't thought to invent email. Magic wasn't the only technology available to Asterparans- Claire had seen them use devices similar to those found in her own world- but for some reason, magic tended to be the most common tool in Asterpara. Perhaps it was more convenient, being linked to the biology of most Asterparan creatures. The ability to accomplish one's goals using learned skills was much more effective than having to invent objects for the same purpose. Claire was reluctant to admit that Asterpara might be equal to or better than her homeland in this respect, but there were times when she couldn't argue against this notion in good faith. She had once accepted the idea that, in order to communicate over long distances, she would have to periodically replace her cellphone (more often than most people, since she historically made a point of being the first to own shiny, new gadgets), but then she realized that telepathy had the same basic function, and was preferable in every way. Sure, she had to refine her technique, but when given the choice between the two methods of communication, there was no competition.

Sometimes, Claire was dismayed by the comparative insignificance of her universe. She wasn't just beneath Asterpara: she had been created in world that was itself created by an Asterparan, which made her feel like . . . less of a person. It was an irrational sentiment, of course, since she was literally God, but sometimes she wondered just how much that meant in the grand scheme. Her power, though in theory limitless, was in practice quite fragile. She was a flawed dinosaur, and she made plenty of mistakes. On top of this, she was afraid of her own power, and what might happen if she used it for the wrong reasons. Cliché as it seemed, she was legitimately terrified that she'd become another Ellie, a Queen fallen from grace whose reign would end in infamy. No matter how formidable a monarch's power, there was always a chance that they'd find themselves at the guillotine.

And speaking of monarch-

No, she refused to entertain that thought.

Nevertheless, she had already let it seep into her consciousness, and she knew what she had been on the brink of acknowledging. Ellie was the Phoenix Queen. Claire was the Monarch Queen. It seemed appropriate: the two of them had been born anew, Ellie from an ash tree and Claire from a cocoon, but there was evidence that their reign would end in a similar manner as well. Katharos, that disgusting word that made Claire's scales crawl, was called the Blood Monarch, according to Elkay.

Blood Monarch.

Monarch Queen.

The pieces fit perfectly, as Elkay had so gracelessly reminded her. And there may not be any way to guarantee for certain that things would turn out the way she feared, but when considering the arguments that supported this theory . . .

Claire noticed a hot air balloon hovering a few miles away, perfectly framed by the gothic window that stenciled the tower's cold stone. Sarah was out and about, just as she had been when Elymas was released from the Beneath. Claire thought about her confident reply to Sarah's warning, and despised her past self for invoking such obvious hubris. The words she had uttered had not simply come back to bite her: they were tearing at her throat like rabid hounds, and she suspected this was only the beginning.

Claire was about to leave the chamber when the glowing sphere began to crackle. She allowed magic to flow from her front horn, and as she touched it to the globe, the image of a purple tiger replaced it. Claire beamed.

"Bast!"

"Hello, Claire. It's been a while. How are you holding up?"

She laughed cynically.

"I think my summon speaks for itself."

The feline smiled warmly.

"You're too hard on yourself, Claire. Nothing's happened yet. You're not going to turn on us overnight."

"Well, I sure hope not . . . Wait, how did you know I was worried about turning? I didn't say- Elkay blabbed, didn't she?"

Bast shrugged sheepishly.

"Well, you know how she is. She gets a bit gabby when there's gossip to share, regardless of who it affects. I heard about what my son did to Elkay FROM Elkay, and not in the sense that she was pondering his crime and how it affected her . . . No, it seemed like she just wanted someone to listen to her story."

"Has she been lying about that?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'd like to believe my son wasn't capable of- . . . Well, she's telling the truth about what happened, anyway, but she treated it with levity, perhaps as a coping mechanism. Still, it was devastating news, and her tone didn't exactly soften the blow . . ."

"She really doesn't know how to handle sensitive topics, does she?"

"No, she doesn't. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure she realized who I was, or even remembered that I was alive. She loses track of people quite easily, as you certainly know by now."

"Why did she come to you first? Was it just an unfortunate coincidence?"

The tigress laughed bitterly.

"Oh, she didn't come to ME first. Half of Asterpara knew by the time she got around to telling my family."

"So . . . how many people know about my role in the apocalyptic prophecy?"

The tiger offered nothing but an uncomfortable stare in reply. Claire sighed and fell forward on her belly.

"Great. This is just what I needed."

Bast shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Claire. Hardly anyone takes Elkay seriously anymore. We're not alone in our experiences, us two. Heck, I'm not even the only parent who's had to hear about . . . you know . . ."

"When she told you, did she bring up the bum of the mind?"

"The what?"

"Nevermind . . . Bast, can I ask you something?"

"You know you can, since you just did."

"Right, well, I was wondering if you had any helpful information about this prophecy."

"Sorry. Can't help you there. But I can check a few libraries, for what it's worth."

"Sure. Can I ask you something else?"

"Always."

"Is the reason you were the first and only person to reply to my message that the others are afraid Elkay may be right?"

Bast snorted, then covered her nose to stifle her giggles.

"Claire, now you really ARE being paranoid. No, the elders are just busy with other matters. As you know, things kind of fell apart when the Marshall abandoned his army. And he's not the only one who disappeared, of course."

"No sign of your son?"

Her whiskers twitched.

"Well, I haven't managed to locate Fang, but at least my other boy stays put. It's difficult to misplace a rug. He really ties the room together, I hear."

Claire gulped.

"Bast, if you want us to relocate your son's . . . remains, we can-"

"No, don't bother. He's fine where he is. It's an honor knowing he'll be admired for generations to come, but I generally oppose Elkay's decisions as a matter of principle."

"I understand the impulse, believe me."

Her striped tail curled at the end, and her ears flattened with uncertainty as her eyes strayed from Claire's face.

"Claire, I wanted you to know that I appreciate what you've done."

"What I've done?" she echoed.

"Yes. How you've handled . . . Well, how you've been able to tolerate . . . Look, I had to put up with Elkay for a long stretch of time, and I barely survived. She's the reason my whiskers went gray. It seems she gets worse with each passing year, and I'm only getting a glimpse of her current . . . self . . . What I mean to say is, I feel badly about distancing myself from her, since the result is burdening you further."

The faintest of smiles crossed Claire's face.

"Bast, you may not be the kind of person who can handle Elkay- few are- but her presence isn't a drain on everyone. There are times when she's difficult, and I sometimes feel the way you do, but . . . not always. You shouldn't feel badly for rejecting her. Having a relationship didn't benefit either of you. In your experience, Elkay was a negative force made worse by rejection, but she just needed to find someone who truly and genuinely didn't mind having her around. I mean, at the worst of times, she IS pretty bad, but I'd be lying if I said I wanted her gone. I consider her my friend, though she seems to believe that this fact remains true for only a few seconds after I tell her this is the case. Her default assumption is that everyone hates her until they deny it, and as soon as they stop denying it, they've reverted back to hatred. I don't know why she believes this, but I don't think her reason is a happy one. I will nonetheless keep telling her that I'm her friend, not because I feel the need to do so, but because it's true. And I think she knows this, but won't allow herself to believe it for fear of being proven wrong, which would most likely damage her spirit further. That's my theory, anyway. The point is, we know how much we care about each other, but we refuse to acknowledge that this is the case, so we find ourselves surprised by moments in which we violate our unspoken agreement to leave it unaddressed. I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it IS, and that's proof that we're friends, convoluted as our way of expressing this truth may be."

The tigress shook her head, marveling at the absurdity of Claire's explanation. She seemed confused, but impressed all the same.

"Claire, you are a miracle."

"Well, at least one person was bound to be compatible with Elkay, statistically speaking, and although our friendship is flawed, it exists all the same. We're both flawed people, after all, so it makes sense that our friendship is the same way. Elkay is sometimes difficult and downright harmful, but that doesn't mean she's incapable of growth. I know this because I see myself in her, just a little. I've done some pretty terrible things in the past . . . and I may repeat those mistakes, if the prophecy turns out to be true."

Bast frowned with determination.

"Claire, I promise to help you through this. I'll tell everyone to drop what they're doing and pitch in, mark my words!"

Claire shrunk away shyly.

"Don't bother them if they're doing something more important."

"More important than helping their Queen? Impossible. Any force that threatens Asterpara's leader is our top priority."

"I'll have to hold you to your word the next time the Bull stirs up trouble," Claire chuckled.

Her smile disappeared when she noticed Bast's expression.

". . . What? . . ."

The tiger gulped, then scratched the back of her paw.

"Can I take this to mean you haven't heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Well, I don't want to trouble you, since you have so much on your plate already, but there's been a . . . _development_ in that area."

Claire groaned.

"Oh, god, is he planning something?"

She shook her head.

"No, no! Quite the opposite. He will trouble you no longer, I guarantee."

"I get the feeling that the reason for this is gonna make me feel differently about the entire revelation."

"He was murdered."

"Yeah, there it is."


	40. Dry Hump Of The Kill

"I just don't know who could have done this to him. He wasn't acting strange when we last spoke, and he never once suggested he was feeling threatened or vulnerable or anything like that . . . This came out of nowhere!"

The lioness stared down at the bloody carcass of her former ruler. Although the rough stone around the bull was reddish-brown, it was obvious which surfaces had been painted with his blood. Claire narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to the scene of the crime, taking care not to touch the body itself, nor the many mangled limbs that she could not even begin to identify. She stepped over what looked like a bone skewered through a severed testicle and circled the heap of intestines. When she reached a specific spot, she turned.

"There. Do you see how the blood gravitates towards this spot? It's like someone sucked it from his body once he was incapacitated- obviously, he bled out before then."

The lioness padded over to where the puzzled stegoceratops was standing. Elkay broke her hover and landed beside them, folding her wings and tilting her head with a curious stare.

"Claire, I don't mean to pry, but is there any chance- any chance at all- that you killed the bull and forgot about it?"

She shook her head.

"I wasn't a fan of the guy, but I didn't want him dead. Not literally, anyway. This is too brutal for me to stomach, not to mention it's above my skill level. Someone moved his blood in this direction using dark magic. I assume it was the murderer, but why would they want to do such a thing when he was already dead or dying?"

"We have a few vampires down here," the lioness suggested.

"Well, sure, but are there any vampires who know how to levitate fluids?" Claire muttered weakly.

Elkay gasped.

"Claire! It's the Blood Monarch!"

"What?"

"The Blood Mo-"

"I heard what you said, but aren't you still entertaining the theory that the Blood Monarch is me?"

Elkay shrugged.

"I dunno. I've given up on these mystery narratives where some ominous force threatens our existence. We'll figure out who's behind it eventually. I mean, we don't exactly have subtle villains."

"What about the mystery narrator?"

Elkay's ears drooped.

"Well, we never caught THAT villain, but still . . ."

"Could the mystery narrator be the Blood Monarch?" the lioness asked.

Claire twisted her beak.

"Maybe . . ."

Elkay sighed noisily and crossed her arms.

"I hate it when I'm not in control of the narrative."

"Are you not?" Claire wondered, "I thought you could make major events occur in the story . . . Or do you just write down everything that happens?"

"Bit of both. Whatever's convenient for the plot, mostly. Plus, I don't have The Star anymore, so it's not like I have ALL the power in the world."

Inside Claire's chest, a light began to pulse. She steadied her breathing.

"You know, sometimes I wish this miserable crystal would actually help me out instead of just being an all-powerful rock that sits quietly in my chest."

"It's neither a rock nor a crystal," Elkay retorted snootily, "And yeah, our religion-slash-government is messed up. Our leader is a friggin hybrid dinosaur with wings and antlers- no offence- but my point is that this is all so fucking silly that it's hard to determine how much internal logic there actually is anymore. This is a messy universe with messy hierarchies. I mean, I was Queen for a good long time, and it fucked me up real good."

"Did it?"

"Well, part of it might have been my bad decisions . . . and also the effects of lingering trauma . . . Point being, you should accept the fact that this so-called rock in your chest is the most powerful object in the universe. It may not be ideal, but at least it's better than Xenu."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Well, I suppose there's that. I gotta say, though, I'm ready to pass on my queenly duties whenever it's safe to do so. I need a break, at the very least, and I think I've put in a good few decades."

Elkay laughed sardonically.

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't wanna know how short a time you've been Queen. If you think your time as ruler has been a good run, that makes me the three time champion of a bloody marathon."

"Fair enough, Elkay. You know, if you ever want to be Queen again, just for a change of pace-"

Claire didn't mean to get a reaction out of Elkay, but fleeting as the fear in her eyes was, it was enough to make her regret her proposal. The dragon's face returned to a neutral expression almost as suddenly as the original break in composure had appeared.

"Lily is going to take your place, remember? Besides, it's not up to us to decide who becomes Queen. You're gonna have to ask your neon rock first."

Claire nodded vacantly.

"Elkay, can I-"

"-ask me something? No, of course not. I've never been known to answer questions."

"Smartass. Can you tell me if being alive for so long was part of the reason you went . . . _more_ insane?"

"Probably. I wouldn't doubt that it had something to do with it, even if it wasn't the one and only cause. As the years go by, you gain perspective about the passage of time, the weight of your mistakes, and the banality of existence. Every once in a while, you come across something new and exciting, but for the most part, you end up seeking out novel experiences in increasingly desperate ways. On an unrelated note, if you find traces of ovosperm on the bull's body, that wasn't from the murderer. You just took a long time to get here."

Claire frowned.

" _Ovosperm_? . . ."

"Don't ask," the lioness muttered flatly.

Elkay grinned sheepishly.

"Anyway, I recommend that you go spend time with Owen and Lily, and try to stop worrying about the end of the world. We can forget this little bull incident for now and put Kitai, here, in charge of the Beneath while we're gone. I'll look into this boring murder mystery when it suits me, and . . . Oh, hang on! My narrator-sense is tingling . . ."

Claire batted her eyes.

"Is that a real thing? . . ."

Elkay's ears changed direction like satellite dishes.

"It would appear as though there's been a dramatic development back home . . . something to do with a medical episode . . . Ah, Lowery is in a coma and Karen needs your help."

Claire wasted no time. Tearing through the fabric of space, she appeared by her sister's side. When Karen realized that she was no longer alone, she wrapped her arms around Claire's neck and continued to weep, nearly screaming as she shook uncontrollably beside her collapsed companion. Claire gazed down at Lowery's unconscious figure, and found that her heart was not shattered by the sight.

Mostly, she was wondering what terrible event would overshadow this one, and just how many disasters she would have to endure before encountering a crisis that ended it all.


	41. Trellis Other People

Claire found Elkay in the garden. She was standing before the still figure of Ellie, which may have been mistaken for a real body, were it not for the monochrome surface that gave away the true nature of the statue. Though Ellie's spirit was contained within this stone prison, the human shape of the thing was not "Ellie", despite the fact that it resembled her physical self in every way. It was nothing more than a rock shaped like Ellie's body, which was far from being Ellie herself. Ellie would have greeted the two visitors. She would have reached out and offered them comfort when they needed it. The stillness of the statue was unbroken, however, and would remain so for a good long time. Claire wondered if Ellie was silently screaming inside the effigy, longing for the power to take back her body and come to the aid of her friends. Most likely, she was unaware that two lonely souls had come to visit her current resting place. It was a very good thing indeed, Claire decided, that Ellie was oblivious to the suffering of her companions, as well as being unconscious of how powerless she was to offer her assistance. The inability to provide any form of support would be damaging to a kind soul such as the former Queen's.

"I really miss her."

Claire wondered if she had accidentally let slip what was on her mind, but it was Elkay who had spoken. She was staring at the statue with tears brimming in her eyes.

"I know you had to do it, Claire. I think I've finally accepted that fact. I mean, I always _knew_ , but . . . That's different from accepting, you understand. But now I _have_ accepted it, and . . . Well, it doesn't make this any easier. There was no other way, Claire, and I'm not blaming you for what you did, but I wish Ellie was here with us right now."

"If she was, she'd be just as lost as we are."

"I know, Claire. Believe me: I _know_. I was there when the world was collapsing. Every time. I was there. But the last crisis, I recall in particular. I remember how confused she was . . . how confused we _all_ were. I don't miss her because I think she could have fixed this. I just want her to be here, standing beside us, dealing with the same shit _we_ are and being equally unable to stop it."

"That sounds cruel."

"No, Claire. I don't want her here because I hope to make her suffer. I want her here _despite_ the fact that she would suffer. I would gain no logical comfort from her presence. There is no tactical advantage in calling her back. No, I miss her because she was my _friend_."

"Aren't I your friend?"

Elkay turned her head to look at Claire over her shoulder.

"I don't know. I'm not even sure if I know what a friend is, but I want whatever Ellie was."

"So you don't think I'm a good enough replacement, is that it?"

"No. I just find it hard to believe that you actually care about me."

Claire sighed.

"I thought we had an unspoken understanding that we're secretly friends."

"We do. But a part of me wonders if it's all a lie. That's why I can't just admit that we're friends. It's safer to pretend that there are no stakes in this relationship so that when you decide to let me down, I won't be hurt."

"That's ridiculous. You can't expect to avoid being hurt by using a shield of irony."

"Yes, I realize that it's all going to come crashing down one way or another, but I'm starting to wonder if pain, pain that comes in many forms, really matters. I've survived a great deal of trauma, but I'm still here. I've lived through it all, and everything that's been thrown at me so far hasn't been enough to kill me. I've lived through so much hate, but what concerns me is that it never seems to stop. Eventually, every relationship ends, and it usually ends badly. If you hadn't been so abrupt in terminating my interactions with Ellie, I'm sure the same would have happened between _us_."

Claire sighed.

"Are you afraid of what might happen when she comes back?"

". . . No. With every sustained relationship comes the hope that _this time_ , it will be different, and I won't be proven wrong until it ends . . . It's the same reason you can't prove immortality. You can only assume that something is permanent, and when you're proven wrong, the next round makes you hope that . . . Well, that the end will come later, at the very least."

"Wouldn't it be more logical to conclude that nothing is permanent?"

"I'd rather believe that I haven't yet stumbled upon the one relationship that lasts, illogical as the premise may sound. When you live forever, the inevitability of rejection is a notion too bleak to consider."

"So you choose to live in blissful ignorance, in other words."

Elkay laughed bitterly.

"I _choose_ to believe that someone out there is capable of loving me, and that their love won't come with an asterisk attached at the end."

"But every relationship has conditions. Loving someone's flaws is a superficially touching notion, but in reality, blind acceptance is toxic. You can't expect someone to love the less flattering parts of who you are."

Elkay sneered.

"But that's all I _am_ , Claire. My very foundation is made up of everything you despise."

"Change, then."

Elkay slammed her paw into the ground, sending clumps of dirt flying in all directions.

"If I change, I won't be _me_ , and I'll never know if it's possible for someone to love me as I am!"

"So you want to stay fucked-up, then?"

The dragon was shaking.

"The only reason I don't like myself is because of people like _you_. If you weren't constantly telling me how awful I am, maybe I could learn to love myself."

"So you're blaming me for your problems? You think it's _my_ fault that you screw every living creature you meet?"

"I _screw_ those people because it helps me to forget, _Claire_. If someone makes it as far as my bed, they aren't about to start spewing insults. No, Claire, they'll be happy to appease me for the brief time we're _screwing_ , the _only_ time I can pretend that I _mean_ something to them. They _need_ me, and I can trick myself into believing that their explanation is _more_ than just: 'I need you for sex'. I _know_ they're just looking for something to come in, but until they finish, I can _imagine_ that this isn't the case. For the brief moment they _need_ me, I can make-believe that they _want_ me, and in that time, there are infinite possibilities. And maybe some part of me _knows_ that this will probably end with me waking up alone. Like all rejection, it's uncertain until it happens. And then I feel like a fool, but it doesn't matter, because the next person's waiting at the door, and I can return to a world of possibilities . . . A world where people really _do_ like me."

Claire shook her head slowly.

"You're messed up."

Elkay winced.

"I _knew_ you'd say that. I was _afraid_ you'd say it, but I _knew_. How can a person be _afraid_ of something they _know_ is going to happen unless they believe it's possible that it _won't_?"

"So a part of you didn't expect me to say what I did?"

"A very small part. A part you just killed. Tiny as that feeling was, it was stronger than the despair of my more reasonable expectations. That's the way hope always is: too small to practically matter, but somehow stronger than anything else inside of you . . . until it dies."

Claire rolled her eyes.

"Oh, boo-hoo. The dragon is sad because everyone else is responsible for her problems."

"You think you're so rational, but you're just as crazy as _I_ am."

"Because you wrote me, Elkay. I literally came from you."

"I guess everything I make is just shit, then, is that it?"

"Looks like it."

"See, even when you're insulting me, you still find a way to lapse back into self-loathing. That's the craziness you inherited from your creator, I suppose. My fault. It's all my fault. So go ahead: blame the dragon who blames others for her problems, for your own problems. Regardless of why you are the way you are, that's how you turned out, so you may as well accept the fact that I'm right when I say you're crazy, just like me."

"Distinctly less so."

"Are you certain of that, Claire? Who was it who got so wrapped up in her own problems that she let a genocide happen?"

"Is that the best guilt trip you can think of?"

"I'm not bringing it up to make you feel guilty, Claire. I know how overused that particular anecdote is as far as your lingering regret is concerned. What I'm getting at is that you're not inclined to care about those less fortunate than yourself. It's not in your nature to care. You only started 'caring' about the plight of the stegoceratopses when you became one, and even then you hated what you were. And you may have- supposedly- accepted your dinosaur-self now, but if you still had the privilege of being human, you'd remain in your cozy little bubble for all eternity. You don't care about the ugliness in the world when it's you who's spreading it. Wanna know why? Because you think the only true ugliness lies within the people you're hurting."

Claire snorted.

"What does that even _mean_?"

"You wouldn't love me if I didn't act like you."

"You _don't_."

"I know, and you hate me for it, but as soon as I behave the way you ask me to, suddenly I'm worth keeping around. You wouldn't save me out of compassion. If I hurt you, you wouldn't go on to help me out of the kindness of your heart. No, you'd let me rot if you thought I'd harmed you. You're incapable of doing what's right when you believe that the people suffering don't deserve your attention."

"Stupid dragon. You can't possibly be serious about me being 'uncaring' when I've disproven this fact in the very narrative you care so much about. Then again, the story doesn't matter when you really get down to it."

"It does to _me_!"

"Then you're a _fool_."

Elkay stared at her for a long time. Then, she turned around and lumbered away from the fuming stegoceratops.

"Well, I'm glad you finally decided to say it."

"You're not getting my pity. I won't fall for it."

"I know you aren't concerned. I wish you were, though. That misguided feeling of hope is back. It's too stupid to die."

"That explains why you're still here too, I guess."

The dragon hummed.

"Nice one. You really got me. I'm speechless."

As she prepared to exit the garden, Claire lifted her chin defiantly.

"Are you going to help me figure out what happened to Lowery? Or maybe you're saving your triumphant return for an especially tense moment? . . ."

"I'll probably be back. There's nowhere else to go, logically. Right now, I want to be alone. I'm sure you do too. That's all we ever were, after all. But it won't feel that way when we meet again, luckily. It's comforting to believe that we're in this together, but really, we're just standing in close proximity and agreeing every once in a while. No matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, we will be alone from the day we're born to the day we die."

" _You_ , maybe."

"Maybe."

She left. Claire took a deep breath.

"Stupid dragon."


	42. Differences On Bryce

There was no doubt that the yellow shape lying in the grass was a dragon, and her awkward pose (combined with the bizarre choice of a resting location) indicated that something had gone terribly wrong. It was as though she had been tossed onto the field without much resistance on her part, like a rag doll with just a few too many limbs to keep track of. She did, however, manage to turn her head as something rustled in the grass. A pink snout parted the foliage, followed by a pair of bright eyes that Elkay did not notice, for she had promptly looked away once the dinosaur's identity became known.

"You okay?"

She sighed.

"No."

The feathery troödon hopped onto her chest, tapping his longest claws idly.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay, then."

As he prepared to leap into the grass, he was seized by the dragon's paws, having no time to catch his breath before being pressed against her chest like a throw pillow.

"Claire hates me and thinks I'm stupid and life has no meaning and I want to die!"

He kicked up his legs in panic, attempting to free his stifled snout.

"Mph!"

"We had a big fight, and now I'm gonna die alone with no friends and everyone's gonna think I'm the bad guy," she shrieked.

"Rck!"

"I've tried my best to be a good friend," she reflected as the dinosaur suffocated in her grasp, "I thought we were doing really well, but then she started talking about the story and how dumb it is- and you know how that makes me feel . . ."

"Urf . . ."

She rocked back and forth as his leg began to spasm.

"This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. You know, I really thought I could trust her, but it just goes to show that sooner or later, everyone you love will turn on you. But I'd hoped I'd be dead before it could happen with _her_."

She sniffled and squeezed his limp body.

"I think she really means it this time. After fifty-nine fights, it's finally happened. Our friendship is over."

She sighed and let him drop. He gasped loudly, feathers standing on end.

"I always knew this day would come," she whispered, "Claire just doesn't want to be my friend anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. She _never_ wanted to be my friend."

"I don't think that's true."

"It _is_. She _never_ liked me."

"Now, that's just reaching . . ."

"I don't think so. It's been painfully clear from the very start that she hates me."

"I think you're inferring too much."

"Oh, come on. How is it not obvious that she thinks I'm the worst person on Earth?"

"Because she doesn't . . ."

"Well, maybe YOU don't see it, but like I've always said, she's been pretending to like me all this time just to be polite, but really, she thinks I'm everything that's wrong with society, and she believes that I'd be better off dead or severely injured."

"And you don't think you're overanalyzing this situation just a little bit? . . ."

"Of course not. Claire made it painfully obvious that she wants to banish me to the moon where I'll live out the rest of my days on a cold, dark space-rock that reflects my inner turmoil."

"Your inner turmoil is encapsulated by a space-rock?"

"It's cold and dark, is what I'm saying . . ."

He gave a long, beleaguered sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"Okay, you should probably talk to Claire before this becomes a pro-"

"Did I ever tell you about the time we went to the Overworld?"

"Christ."

She stared into the middle-distance wistfully.

"We had just foiled the Bull's latest plan. Claire was carrying a bag of radioactive metal rods- we confiscated them from his death-machine, of course- and I decided it would be easier to escape through the Overworld, for some reason."

"You already told me th-"

She pinched his snout shut with two claws, still staring ahead vacantly.

"I guess I must have been distracted, because we ran into someone on the way through. Claire was falling behind due to her huggable yet impractical design, and as I set my tail down . . . by accident . . . one of her stubby little legs failed to clear the rise, and she went tumbling towards . . . um . . . Have you ever seen a horn go straight through someone's neck?"

"Mph."

"It wasn't a pretty sight. Blood everywhere. Really traumatic, as you can imagine, so when I began to register what had happened- by accident- I realized that there were two possible outcomes. One, I could stick a radioactive rod between her teeth, maybe give it a little zap, and in doing so be sure that if she died, it wouldn't last too long. You can probably see why this would benefit me, in the context of . . . everything. But the second option was to grab Claire and cut her open, allowing her ichor to heal the woman's wound, but killing her in the process. My first thought was that the whole mess was so perfect on a symbolic level that it was borderline contrived, but it was an accident, as I said before, so it was brilliant by chance. I was forced to choose between sacrificing my friend to save another, or saving them both while arguably dooming one, and while the latter would benefit me greatly, I knew it was wrong to rob the real world of something great, instead replacing it with my own vision."

"This is the weirdest version of the trolley problem I've ever heard."

"And do you know what I did?"

"Yes. You already t-"

"I cut Claire open- just a little- so that I could save someone important by infusing a single drop of ichor into her wound, thus allowing both women to exist in different evolutionary branches of the same genetic tree. Admittedly, Claire was a little pissed off afterwards, since I didn't warn her before slicing her tail open, but she got off pretty easy, all things considered. She's lucky I realized that I didn't have to bleed her from the throat as I originally planned. I'm afraid of what my decision would have been if it had only been the two options, though."

"So you've said."

"And now I'm here, wallowing in a despair that never seems to leave me for very long. I must now accept the fact that my own creation will inevitably turn against me, because I turn against myself when faced with this horrible truth: no matter how safe I feel in my own little world, there is another world that outshines it a million times over, and that's why people are here. If I can't make them love all that is me, I've failed to realize the text's primary purpose. I can't outperform the dominant worldview, one devoid of dragons and magic and everything else I hoped to weave into it. I thought a Stegoceratops couldn't be loved, but the truth is that there never _was_ a Stegoceratops, just an empty facsimile of a soulless dragon, who-"

The troödon, who had been fidgeting impatiently during the entire monologue, suddenly reached out and slapped her.

"It's just a fucking FanFiction. Get ahold of yourself."

His pupils shrunk as she leaned close, growling.

"Uh . . ."

She darted forward, grabbing him by the neck. He flopped back and forth like a rubber chicken.

"YOU FAIL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE INHERENT VERISIMILITUDE OF STORYTELLING! THEMATIC CONTENT IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON WORLDVIEW!"

"ACK! BUT IT'S POSSIBLE TO DIVORCE A WORLDVIEW FROM REALITY WHEN CONSIDERING THE ABSTRACTION OF EXPERIENCES TO REFLECT INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTION, WHICH IS HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE AND UNRELIABLE!"

"YOU'RE FORGETTING THAT THE IDEA OF TRUTH IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT THAT HAS NO MEANING BEYOND OUR COGNIZANCE!"

"BUT A VARIATION IN EXPERIENCE MEANS THAT UNBIASED KNOWLEDGE CAN ONLY BE ATTAINED BY EXPOSING ONESELF TO FOREIGN NARRATIVES, WHICH MEANS YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF CLAIRE TRULY HATES YOU UNLESS YOU ASK HER AND COULD YOU PLEASE LET ME GO BECAUSE MY SPINAL COLUMN SEEMS TO BE MISALIGNED!"

She threw him to the ground.

"Fine. But just so you know, I see through your clever ruse. I'll bet there isn't even such a thing as a 'spinal column'. You just said that so I would stop strangling you."

"That was a priority, yes . . ."

She crossed her arms and sat down, turning her beak away sourly. After cracking several vertebrae into place, the dinosaur limped up to her with a frown.

"Are you ready to act like an adult?"

"NO!"

"Okay . . . how long before we can have a proper discussion?"

"Forever times infinity."

He grumbled impatiently.

"What's it gonna take to change your mind?"

The dragon snorted.

"I'll change my mind if Claire apologizes, but that's never, ever, EVER, ever, ever, ever, EV- Oh, hang on. I'm getting a call."

She adjusted the angle of her ears.

"Uh-huh . . . Yeah . . . Okay . . . Yeah . . . Great! Thanks!"

She nodded to the troödon.

"Claire says she's sorry for what she said and she didn't mean to hurt my feelings."

"Wow. Who could have seen this coming," he remarked flatly.

Suddenly, Elkay gave a little jump.

"Wait, hang on- Slow down- No, it- When did this- What the-"

She gasped.

"Something's wrong! Quick, to the East Dock!"

She grabbed the troödon by the tail (ignoring the subsequent crack) and leapt into flight. As she scanned the island with worry in her eyes, the dinosaur's body fluttered in her paw like a ribbon caught in a hurricane.

"I do not wish to alarm you, but there's been a sudden influx of an unknown fluid into my lower back, and the resulting pressure seems to be limiting my ability to move anything below the waist."

"No time for fake injuries. Gotta find Claire."

"I'm serious. I can't feel my legs."

"Quiet! This is important."

"More important than my ability to walk? . . ."

"Claire says a sinister vortex just opened up above the ocean- is it an ocean or a sea?"

"I've lost control of my toes."

"She thinks it has something to do with the prophecy. It almost sucked up a T-Rex."

"I think you mean T. rex . . ."

"Your punctuation is confusing."

"It's accurate."

"What if there was a dinosaur whose name started with 'T', and he was confused by your abbreviation?"

"Ellie had a son named Tyler."

"Yeah, but nobody remembers him. Plus, he'd go by 'T. Sattler'."

"What if I was talking about A. Rex, but it just sounded like 'a rex'?"

"It's not _my_ fault normies don't hear punctuation. Plus, there aren't any rexes with 'A' names."

"Angus and Annie."

"Well, ex- _cuse_ me for not knowing every single character offhand."

"Do you remember _my_ name?"

"Of course. It's-"

She flapped her wings suddenly, coming to a halt. She hovered in place, gazing ahead at a dark figure suspended over what could only be called a sinister vortex.

"You sure picked a good time to notice impending danger . . ."

She blinked.

"Nope, the timing was real. I know your name is Chris, by the way."

"Do you also know that the numbness has spread to my ch-"

She gave him a sharp squeeze to shut him up. She had spotted Claire, who was also hovering near the edge of the vortex. They met each other's gaze, but shifted their focus as the veil of smoke shrouding the ominous figure dissipated. Claire's beak parted, but she did not scream. Her wings faltered, and didn't regain their usual rhythm, instead shaking uncontrollably. As the Queen gazed ahead with an expression of sheer terror, Elkay snorted and slapped her forehead.

"Wow, I totally get it now. The description in the prophecy referred to a Stegoceratops, but it wasn't _Claire_. 'Katharos' is the root of several names, and it should have been really easy to figure out who was most likely to betray us. I was so busy worrying about Claire turning evil that I totally didn't see the incredibly obvious plot twist coming. Am I a dummy or what?"

In the center of the spiralling maelstrom, Karen turned to face her sister.


	43. Flash And Blood

"Karen, why? . . ."

Claire was so terrified by the sight of her corrupted sister that she hardly noticed her friends and followers gathering on the beach below. Somehow, they seemed to be drawn to disaster, perhaps out of a desire to help their Queen in any way possible. Vic, in fact, had just survived an assassination attempt that burned down his entire treehouse, and was about to inform Claire that he had seen Karen eyeing his oven only a few hours prior, which had struck him as odd at the time. In any other situation, he might lament the fact that he had been unable to assist Claire in identifying a potential threat, but Karen's behaviour was far more concerning than the loss of his home and failed warning. The sight of the evil woman struck fear into his heart, as well as everyone else who had known her before her transformation. There was something unnatural about her current essence. She had adopted her Stegoceratops form, but her shape was not as it had been before. Two purple, leathery wings jutted out of her sides from what looked like wounds, or else enormous, pierced boils. She had six spikes on her tail, and her toes had become pointed claws. Her horns were curved upwards, caressing the downwards-pointing triangle on her frill, which hummed with an ominous red glow. Her entire body, in fact, had a reddish shine to it, but that was nothing compared to the vivid colour of her sclerae. Her beak parted with a hiss.

"I have been reborn, sister."

Elkay, who had flown closer to Claire, gulped.

"Happy Birthday? . . ."

"With my rebirth comes the death of your world: the Jurassic World. All will end under the reign of the Blood Monarch."

Tears were welling up in Claire's eyes.

"Karen, I don't understand . . ."

"No, you _DON'T_ understand. Who's had to suffer through your story? Who's had to endure your arcs? Who's suffered the most from your personal growth and the growth of your franchise? All of us. Every single one. You've poisoned this world. Now, it must be destroyed."

Claire shook her head.

"Karen, this makes no sense. Why would you-"

"I returned to the Bull. He promised me many things. But I had other plans. Me and my friend, that is . . ."

Elkay gasped.

"She's possessed by Elymas!"

Claire advanced.

"Karen, she's right. This isn't _you_."

"Oh, but it _is_. Do you even know what I've _been_ through? No. You don't. How can you possibly imagine what it feels like to have your child die inside of you, and to learn that it was deliberate? There is no age of peace as long as Kings and Queens are allowed to reign freely. I'll kill you all, and what's more, I'll destroy the afterlife so that none of you may return to start the cycle anew. Katharos shall be the end of all: the great cleansing. The end! Finally, the END!"

She turned to the crowd clustered on the beach.

"Aren't you tired of living in the shadow of someone else's story? Are you truly content living as pawns in a game controlled by a dragon and her successors? Does a single person among you yearn for closure?"

There was a pause. Then, Alan stepped forward.

"This story took Ellie from me. All I want is to be with her again."

Karen smiled.

"Welcome to the right side."

Claire lowed in distress.

"Karen, you can't do this! I'm your sister. These are your friends!"

Karen sneered.

"For how much longer? Until the dragon decides to change our arc by force?"

Elkay crossed her arms.

"Says the woman going full Paradise Lost on her relatives."

Claire kicked Elkay gently, then turned back to her sister.

"Karen, please. Let's talk about this."

"We've had plenty of time to talk. Today, I act. And you'll be the first to die . . ."

She prepared to attack, but something struck her snout. Two Stegoceratopses were pelting rocks at her from above. Lily glided on feathery wings while Flower buzzed to and fro with her newly-trained plates. Perceiving the effectiveness of this strategy, a herd of Stegoceratopses took flight with rocks in their beaks. They hummed like a swarm of bees, though they were much larger and fiercer than mere insects. Claire noticed Penumbra bounding back and forth in the sand with frustration. She watched her brothers and sisters depart as her own feeble plates attempted to mimic their action, but failed to lift her off the ground. She didn't give up, though the effort was futile.

Karen snarled as more and more dinosaurs joined in. Raptors, compsognathus, herrerasaurs . . . even those incapable of flight hurled rocks at her, though they were much too far to get a good shot. Still, it was clear whose side the majority had taken.

Then, a voice broke through the chaos.

"Mom! MOM!"

Gray pushed through the crowd, waving his arms to get his mother's attention, desperate to mend the situation. She looked down at him, now oblivious to the stones bouncing off her scales. Although she could not hear him, she understood his words.

"Please . . . Come back . . ." he sobbed.

Karen beat her wings slowly, hovering in place. She looked sadly at her boy. Instead of tears, there was something cold in her gaze. It made Claire's scales prickle.

"Oh, Gray . . ." Karen whispered, "They've ruined you. My son, my son . . ."

She drifted closer.

"It's okay . . . It's okay . . . This will all be over soon."

He reached out to her helplessly.

"Gray . . . You'd thank me for this, if you could . . ."

Suddenly, the mark on her forehead flashed a furious crimson. In a split second, what had once been Gray erupted into a cloud of blood. Claire screamed, and did not stop screaming even as her sister pounced upon her.

That was the last thing she remembered.


	44. Turning The Cage

For a moment, Claire's eyes fluttered open. At least, she _thought_ they were open, but she was so dizzy that it almost seemed like a dream. It was dark, but there was something bright twisting in front of her. It was almost like a rope, or maybe a snake, and this thought made something inside of her jolt, but it was a distant feeling. When her vision began to clear up, she decided that the bright thing was more like smoke than a snake, but smoke didn't move in quite the same way as the _thing_. In a way, it reminded her of sand in an hourglass, only instead of trickling down, it was pouring out of her chest . . . out of The Star. Whatever the bright thing- the bright _stuff_ \- was, there was an infinite supply, and whatever was being taken away from her was only what had become visible to Karen. Claire could not see her sister in the darkness, but she felt her presence. She decided that she ought to say something, but she had very little energy, and could not muster enough spirit to utter a single word. In fact, she could hardly keep her head upright.

As her chin dipped down to her chest, she noticed a crystal spoke of The Star glimmering in the darkness. It was so clear that it almost seemed black like the world around it, but a feeble light made it stand out around the edges. Claire opened her mouth, but was unable to make a sound, much less form words. It seemed as though The Star understood this, and it told her- not with words, of course- but it told her that everything was going to be okay. She wanted to nod, but the strength was leaving her body and being replaced with something else. She found that it was getting harder and harder to hold thoughts, though she was certainly capable of _thinking_ , but there was something different in the way she was going about it. She tried to ponder why that was, but she found that she was quite incapable of remembering how "pondering" might be accomplished. She knew that she ought to be well-equipped to tackle "analysis" as a general concept, but at present, she simply could not figure out how. It wasn't like anything was stopping her, exactly, but she just . . . couldn't.

For the briefest of moments, it occurred to her that something must be happening to her mind, though she wasn't sure how she had come to this conclusion. Wracking her brain for helpful information, she remembered that Owen had once asked her to spell "giraffe" when he suspected that her mental faculties were deteriorating, and she would have tried to spell it right then and there, only she forgot what spelling even _was_ , never mind how to _do_ it. This made her feel sad, and a few minutes later, when she had forgotten why she was feeling this way, she realized how hungry she was. That must have been what she was experiencing a few moments ago, she realized.

Hunger, nothing more.

It was an unusual hunger, but nothing to worry about, since she wasn't feeling strange-hungry anymore. No, she was hungry like she always was, and whatever had come to pass a few moments prior was of no concern. But normal-hunger wasn't ideal either. There didn't seem to be any food nearby. She wanted food.

Something inside of her tried to protest, but it was distant, so distant, and there was another voice telling her not to worry about it. She decided to believe the voice, because she knew that she could trust it.

Her memory told her so.

She faded back into a peaceful sleep, and when she awoke, she was in a field. She did not notice the fences surrounding her, nor the sign that read "Humble Ruminants", but as she made her way across the pasture, grazing peacefully, she noticed that she was not alone. She bumped snouts with another dinosaur, and when they glanced at each other, chewing cud all the while, she recognized her daughter.

They moved past each other without saying a word.

When she was full, she trotted down to a small pond, which had a strange, black tube at the bottom. She was afraid that it might be a snake, but when a dark stegoceratops began lapping up water without consequence, it became clear that the thing in the murk was not planning to strike, though it blew bubbles every now and then.

The dark stegoceratops was familiar to her. She realized this as she was drinking, and she dwelled on the thought for longer than was reasonable, or natural. She was very thirsty, but the familiarity of the other dinosaur was distracting her, and there was no reason why this should be the case. She did not need anything from the stegoceratops, and if she did, it wasn't as urgent as the need for water.

Was it?

She didn't know what was so important about her companion, or if there was anything important about her at all, but the fact that she could not remember, nor imagine, her own motives for dwelling on this thought was reason enough to assume that she was mistaken.

But as she lumbered away, she felt a twinge deep down in her gut.

She decided that she was probably hungry again.

And she was.

***TSFEW***

In the confines of their enclosure, the herd of hybrids continued to graze peacefully, and it wasn't long before the sense of unease inside of them disappeared completely. They rested under the light of a full moon, consumed by a deep slumber. No sound penetrated their rest. Not the mournful wailing from the tank that held the Monster of the Deep, nor the hooting of the Rainbow Wonder beside her, nor the hiss of the Swamp-Dweller, nor the groans of the Thundering Equine. No sound caused them to stir, and the same was true of the absence of sound in some quadrants, for the White Terror had ceased to scream and claw at the walls of his prison and was now waiting patiently in the brush, staring at the men behind the glass that he had almost broken.

Waiting.

The Towering Sentinel, too, was silent as he gazed ahead, though his eyes were filled with pity and longing. He stepped closer to the platform where Karen stood, pleading silently. She smiled.

"You'll all be happier now. And I won't even have to kill you. You can live a happy life. An uncomplicated life. I realize that a part of you has died, but you're still mostly alive, and that's much better than I was hoping for."

Tears slipped out of his eyes. Karen sighed.

"You won't settle for anything, will you? Can't you see that this is an improvement? It should have been this way from the start. No thoughts, no stories, no dreams . . . We can just _be alive_ , without having to wonder why. There's no pressure, no conflict. There's nothing more to seek out. You exist, and that's all there is to it."

He lowered his head and walked away, tail dragging. Karen watched him leave.

"You'll learn to see things my way. I'm sorry I can't join you, but maintaining this simple world requires higher functions than that of a stegoceratops. I'll gladly take on the burden of humanity for your sake. It's so, _so_ worth it. Just look at how happy you are."

Lowery curled up in the corner of his cage, weeping as the woman he loved departed.


	45. Can't Stop Her From Karen

Karen had been unprepared for the difficulty and challenges that came with the title "Park Manager". There was something deeply ironic about this whole situation, and that wasn't even including the whole "hubris" angle. It seemed like such a simple plan: contain the assets, don't let them escape . . . come to think of it, every measure she took was simply an extension of a single idea, that being to keep them caged at all costs.

What had come to pass was not her fault, of course. She did everything she could to control them, but like the fools they were, they just couldn't help but ruin her plans. What reason did they have to be uncooperative? What was so undesirable about the world she had created for them?

She told herself that it was just a fluke when that damned reptile electrocuted herself by climbing up the fence. She had survived the first shock, yet she just kept going and going . . . but why? Was she really so desperate to escape her enclosure, trading it for what lay beyond? It was only a larger cage, and a deceptive one, at that. Freedom was an illusion. Karen's project was limiting, dehumanizing, and without greater purpose, but the alternative was no different.

Still, those stupid animals continued to pursue some foolish fantasy. It was an unpleasant experience, finding that reptile floating belly-up in the swamp, but worse still was the possibility that it was a sign of things to come.

What if the others decided to rebel in the same way _she_ had? What if it was inevitable? It would prove that Karen's mercy was wasted, and the only way to truly end this tyranny was by force.

She touched her forehead. It was getting painful, this magic, but she'd rather suffer through power than remain passive, as she had before. The fate of her former friends was her burden now, but at least she wasn't helpless to change her situation. Still, the thought of having to kill again . . .

She worried about Claire the most. There were moments when she remembered the love they shared, but her darker memories always prevented her from reconsidering her ultimate decision. It was getting easier and easier to stop caring about Claire, which sounded awful, but in reality was largely beneficial to her cause. Forgetting the humanity of her sister allowed Karen to see her for the tyrant she was, perhaps not by choice, but by design.

Claire had done nothing to rebel against the Queens that came before her. Now, it was time to see if the same was true of a novel ruler such as Karen. If Claire was deluded enough to defend her peers over her sister . . . well . . .

She purged the thought from her mind. The reptile's death had been a fluke, and what followed was simply a reflection of poor character. Claire wouldn't fall prey to the same mania as her husband.

She gazed down at the empty Indominus Paddock and wondered if it would have been a good idea to put him with the herbivores after all.

***TSFEW***

When he was sure that no one was around, Owen stepped out of the lake. He didn't know how long he had been submerged, but it felt like ages. Having to focus on maintaining a low body temperature while blending in with his surroundings had been extremely taxing, and the fear of being caught only made him more likely to slip up. Thankfully, he had managed to avoid detection. The guards were smart enough to keep the paddock closed, but Owen didn't _need_ an exit. All he wanted was a little privacy.

He began toppling trees, hoping to make a kind of staircase that would aid his climb. Whomever had built the enclosure- most likely under the guidance of Karen- had used some kind of rubbery substance to patch up imperfections in the wall, which would be perfect for digging his claws into.

After lining up a series of logs, Owen stepped up to the wall and jammed his talons into the rubbery stuff. He tried to hoist himself up, but his weight caused the substance to peel away from the wall. After a beat, the wall became covered with cracks, and eventually collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Well, then.

It wasn't exactly a graceful escape, but the humbling failure of his original plan meant very little to him.

Freedom was freedom.

On his way through the park, Owen crossed paths with Sarah. He wasn't surprised that she had escaped. It was a little difficult to tell what she was saying, since the effects of Karen's magic had not yet faded in full, but from what he could gather, she had played dead, narrowly escaping a premature incineration, and was currently on her way to free Vivian. He told her that he was looking for Claire. She pointed him in the right direction, though he could already hear a chorus of lows nearby, but he thanked her regardless, and they parted ways.

He slithered towards the enclosure, taking care not to bump into unsuspecting staff members. He wondered how Karen was controlling them. If things got messy, he didn't want to attack innocent people, but if he'd been knocked out for long enough to allow Karen's dystopian world to flourish . . .

Part of him was looking forward to digging his claws into someone's flesh, but he knew that it was just the animal part of his brain talking.

Find Claire.

That one thought was enough to keep him focused, even if part of his motivation depended on hunger. He knew better than to eat his true love, of course.

Still, it wasn't like she needed all four legs . . .

He shook his head.

Whatever Karen had done to him, he didn't enjoy it one bit, and he could only pray that Claire was better off.

***TSFEW***

She was grazing when it happened. The herd parted as though compelled by some unseen danger, though they appeared to be as confused as they were nervous. She lifted her head and sniffed the air. Something strange was nearby, but she wasn't sure what it was. The scent was familiar and foreign, comforting and threatening . . . _fishy_. She couldn't place it.

Eventually, it drifted away, and she decided to drink. She was thirsty.

As had happened many times before, she hesitated at the sight of her reflected yellow eyes, which wasn't quite right . . . Why _shouldn't_ it be, though?

She was thirsty.

She drank.

But her mind dwelled on her reflection, and she pulled her head back before she was finished drinking, which was-

Her eyes had changed. They were blue and white, and-

Her dry tongue made her forget. She dipped her head down once more.

When she was satisfied, she licked her lips and lifted her chin. She was alarmed to see that her eyes had turned red. Her terror peaked when she realized that the eyes did not align with her reflection, and-

Something pulled her underwater.

She lowed in panic, bubbles escaping her beak as troubled light danced on the water's surface. She thrashed back and forth until she lost her strength. Water entered her mouth, but after an initial pain in her chest, she found that she was breathing normally again. The _thing_ that had dragged her under was sucking the black air-tube. He needed oxygen- and she was _sure_ that it was a male, because-

She tried to speak his name, but forgot what she was saying halfway through. He noticed this shift and swam closer to her. Before she could turn away, he pulled her into his arms.

"Owen?"

"Claire."

For a moment, she nearly dipped into her unaware state, but she held onto her thoughts like a safety line. As Owen stroked her snout, she returned to sentience for good. When he was sure that she was free, Owen stuck his snout above water, taking a deep breath. Claire met his gaze.

"Do we have an escape plan?"

He shook his head, still holding his breath.

"Alright. I suppose I can still fly-"

 _Not a good idea._

Claire jumped.

"Elkay! Where are you?" she asked as she paddled for the surface.

 _Long story short, I locked myself in an empty void for a short period of time._

"Why? . . ."

 _Karen hurt my feelings._

Claire didn't know whether to respond gently or honestly, so she reserved judgment.

"Is there any way you can get out?"

 _Not for a day or two._

"Great . . ."

 _I wouldn't be much help, anyway. All I can offer is advice. That might be enough to get you out of the park, though. I can see everything from here, and my writing-sense is enhanced by sensory deprivation. If you try to fly- your wings are featherless, by the way, not sure if you noticed, since you were passed out when she plucked you- but if you try to fly with your plates, you'll be zapped by Karen. It'll be a warning, but your uprising will inspire Penumbra, who will also be zapped, and then the rest of the herd will join in until you're all flying and getting zapped, and Karen won't be too happy about that. She's syphoning magic from The Star- not sure why it's letting her do that- but the point is, you'll be squished if you try to defend yourself. You need help from Asterpara._

"But how do we escape Karen?"

 _That, I can help with._

There was a loud click. The paddock's feeding door swung open.

"That was convenient," Claire remarked.

 _And costly. I can't do much more for you. I might have to take a little nap beside Chris. He's here too. There's a lot of blood in his lungs for some reason. Not sure how that happened._

"Have a nice sleep, Elkay."

 _I will. Before I do, heed this final warning: don't try to reason with Karen. I know she's your sister and all, but if you approach her in this state, things will end badly._

"I'll keep that in mind."

 _Seriously, Claire. I know I can't change your mind if you've made it up, but your compassion is misguided. Please, Claire, do the right thing._

" _Is_ this the right thing?"

Claire waited for a reply, but received none.

Elkay was gone.


	46. Leave Them Wanting Gore

The whole gang reunited in the jungle, which was unguarded at the perimeter. Apparently, Karen had put her faith in enclosures alone. Actually, there was no clear border around the park, and they weren't even on an island. It was possible that they weren't anywhere near Costa Rica either, but Claire was somewhat confident that they were close to home, because she recognized the plants . . . from eating them, of course. She settled down in the foliage, trying to keep her head as clear as possible. It was getting easier and easier to think, and she hoped that this was the case for the others as well. However . . .

"Owen. Stop."

He spat out her tail and licked his lips sheepishly.

"I wasn't going to bite, I swear."

"Well, if you want a taste, there's time for that later. Right now, we need to carry out my plan."

"What's that?"

"Head to Asterpara, get help, wait for Elkay to come back, then find a way to stop Karen."

"Do we _need_ Elkay?"

"It wouldn't hurt to have her around. She fought a giant pig and won, one time."

"Well, your sister isn't a giant pig."

"Not literally, no, but I'm starting to get those vibes."

Vic scratched his cheek with his hind leg.

"Well, I'm all for leaving. Whatever she did to me made me forget Zara briefly, and I don't want that to ever happen again."

Zara nodded.

"Agreed. We should go home . . . Well, go to Isla Nublar, anyway, since our house is gone . . ."

Vic went rigid.

"Zara, the kids!"

She gasped.

"They're still in the park!"

Claire stomped her foot.

"Don't do anything just yet. We need a chance to sneak away without Karen noticing us."

Zara snarled.

"That's easy for _you_ to say, but if _your_ kids were trapped in the park, you'd be going after them without hesitation."

Claire gazed at Lily and Luke, and knew that Zara was right. Penumbra shifted her feet anxiously.

"I want to go back for Monsanto. I'm sure Karen's keeping him locked up somewhere. If she finds out that we've left the park-"

"It's _me_ she's after," Claire sighed, "I promise, if things get rough, I'll draw her away from you."

"Unless she uses us as bargaining tools," Penumbra whispered, "You may be Queen, but we're just characters."

Claire's mouth hung open for a moment. She didn't want to think about what might happen if she was forced to choose between her friends and her Queenly duty.

"I- I won't let it come to that. I'll protect you."

"With what?" Lowery asked, "She took The Star."

Claire looked down. Her chest was bare, and she couldn't feel anything inside of her, either. Still, she had not been separated from The Star, since her old heart did not grow back to replace it. The magic idol was in Karen's hands, but it belonged to Claire, even now.

"I have magic. The Star isn't separate from my body. It's just far away."

"We should get it," Lowery suggested abruptly.

"Lowery, I don't think-"

"We need to talk to Karen."

Claire tensed up.

"Elkay said that was a bad idea. _"_

Owen scoffed.

"Claire, you can't be serious."

" _She_ was," Claire whispered.

Zara scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

"Claire, you've been very patient with that dragon, but you have to admit, she's more wrong than . . . not. Maybe it's time to rule the world on your own."

Claire gulped.

"It's not that I trust her completely, but _this_ time . . ."

Vivian tossed her head.

"Oh, come on, Claire. Why risk the lives of the people we left behind? I say we forget Asterpara and trash this joint."

Seeing Claire's discomfort, Penumbra stepped forward.

"Claire, you're my Queen, and more importantly, you're my friend. I trust your judgment. I know you've had to make sacrifices before, and I know it's not easy to face criticism when you do, but your actions serve the greater good, and it's not up to me to get in the way. Whatever you tell me to do, I'm with you one hundred percent. Do what you feel is right."

Claire felt very small under the gaze of her friends. She saw concern and mistrust in their faces, and although she suspected she would regret her decision, there was no question what she was going to do.

"Let's find Karen."

And that was it.

The journey to Karen's lair was a blur, but one image kept replaying in Claire's mind. Gray was nothing more than a splash of blood on the sand, and if Karen could do that to her own child, who would she be capable of executing now? If she attacked them, Claire could fight her off. Only, she wasn't sure that that was even true. Could she manage to harm Karen? Could she _bear_ to? It was-

"I knew you'd come crawling back," Karen spat, "What's a Queen without her Star? Nothing, that's what."

"Karen . . ."

"But _I_ have the magic now. I can do whatever I want. You think love and kindness are real, tangible things, but true power can overcome these sentiments with ease. Love won't save the day this time."

"Karen, that's not true. I love you, and if you could only see-"

"Do you want to know what _love_ is worth?"

Claire didn't see her sister raise her hand, because she had already turned to follow her gaze. Zara arched her back. Her pupils grew until they consumed her eyes completely. Then, in a rapid strike, she snapped up poor Vic and tilted her head back. Even as her teeth dug into him, his hand reached out lovingly for her cheek, but she tightened her jaws, and his exposed limbs shuddered before going limp. Karen lowered her arm, and Zara let the glassy-eyed body of her husband slip from her beak, no longer under the vile woman's control. Her wail of grief was unlike anything Claire had ever heard. Karen let Zara shriek and howl. It had the intended effect. It was now clear that nothing was stronger than the Blood Monarch. Not even love.

Zara collapsed over Vic's mangled corpse and wept.

"Oh, god. Oh, god . . . What do I tell my children? . . ."

Claire turned to Karen, but she no longer saw her sister.

What stood before her was a monster.

It was smiling.

"Your turn."


	47. Nothing But Bubble

Claire backed away as her sister prepared another attack. Their eyes locked. Claire's pleading gaze was met with a hostile glare. There was a hint of pleasure in Karen's mien, as though she had been waiting to see the Queen helpless for a very long time, and was currently unable to conceal her excitement. Letting her fear show had been a mistake: this was exactly what Karen wanted. Even so, Claire couldn't bring herself to put on a mask of hatred. She couldn't fight Karen. She just didn't have it in her. As horrific as her sister had become, Claire knew that whatever had possessed her was responsible for this change. Even if some unseen emptiness had been present within her all along, she was a victim of this sickness, just as Ellie had been. In the end, Claire had been forced to face Ellie. But she couldn't do the same thing now. Not this time.

"Karen, this isn't-"

She shrieked as a sphere of dark fire tore through the air. She braced herself for an impact, and when none came, she opened her eyes and saw a yellow dragon standing before her. Elkay unfolded her wings. Soot fell from her scales.

"You know, the name 'Karen' brings to mind a middle-aged soccer mom, so this whole 'mistress of all evil' schtick is not working for me one bit . . ."

Claire beamed.

"Elkay! How did you get back so soon?"

She shrugged.

"To be honest, I have no idea. When I woke up, I found a web of Asterparan magic powering a bridge that led out of my empty prison-thing. I saw that you were in trouble, and here we are. Oh, and Chris came back, too. He's no longer bleeding to death, for some reason."

The Troödon slid down her tail, landing next to Claire.

"Don't tell her."

"I won't."

Elkay, meanwhile, had turned her attention to Karen.

"Well, Miss Soccer Mom, are you ready to fight a _real_ opponent?"

Karen advanced. She reached into her robe and retrieved The Star. She held it in front of her like it was dragon-repellant.

"You don't stand a chance against-"

Before she could finish, The Star was ripped from her hands by an unseen force. It shot towards Elkay's chest, where it began to hum. Panic crossed the dragon's face, but she grabbed The Star and tossed it to Claire. She let it sink into her body, and was surprised to discover that it had been in the process of unbonding with her. She gave Elkay a questioning look.

"Your feathers are growing back," the dragon blurted out.

Claire glanced at her plucked wings. Indeed, they were starting to heal.

"Elkay . . ."

"It's not me. It's The Star."

"But Elkay-"

'Please, Claire. I don't want to talk about it. This is _your_ destiny, not mine.'

Whenever Elkay used magic to communicate privately, it was a good sing that the conversation ought to be left alone. But Claire knew that The Star had returned to Elkay, and it was no coincidence that it allowed itself to be distanced from Claire, prior to this development. Something was going on, but everything about Elkay's posture screamed, "I'm not ready," and Claire wasn't about to argue. It wasn't an ideal time to discuss it anyway, since Karen was preparing another attack.

"I don't need The Star to kill you . . ."

Lowery, who had remained silent along with the other members of the gang (with the exception of Zara, who was still weeping), stepped forward.

"You can't kill Claire. Don't you remember the prophecy? It still applies."

Elkay made a high-pitched squeaking sound. When all eyes turned to her, she laughed nervously.

"Um, do you guys remember how I fixed that inconsistency regarding whether Claire or Karen was the older sibling? . . . Well, the steps I took to do that kind of, sort of severed Karen from her mother. She's no longer woman-born, and we should probably keep that in mind before fighting back."

Lowery took a deep breath.

"Okay, then. Listen, Karen, I love you. I know you're not the kind of person who would-"

He yelped as she lifted him off the ground with magic. Before she could blast him apart, Elkay charged forward and headbutted her. Lowery dropped to the ground.

"RUN!" Elkay barked.

They scattered. Claire noticed that Zara wasn't moving, and shoved her emphatically.

"Zara!"

"I can't . . . I can't . . ."

"Zara, think of your children!"

"They'll hate me . . ."

"Zara, they need you! They'll die!"

Zara sobbed, but made an effort to get moving. Claire turned at the exact moment Elkay clamped her beak around Karen's shoulder.

"Elkay, be careful!"

She withdrew her teeth.

"I'm not going to kill her."

"No, I mean, be careful that she doesn't dissolve you into blood!"

"Oh! Okay!"

Karen growled and lunged for the dragon, but she darted away just in time. With a furious scream, she slammed her fists into the ground. As the ceiling began to crumble, Elkay grabbed Claire and draped her over her back. She skittered down a long hallway that (presumably) led out of Karen's lair.

"This building's going down. We're gonna need to be fast and agile. How do we get out, again?"

"I don't even remember how I got in."

Elkay snorted.

"Alright, fair enough. Next time you have to face a violent supervillain, make sure you pay attention to the location, or at least describe it so I can check the text later."

"Aren't _you_ the one narrating?"

"I've been holding back, recently. If it was _my_ job to narrate, I'd have called the last chapter 'Leave Them Wanting _Vore_ '."

"I don't know what that is."

"That's probably for the best."

They made a sharp turn.

"Elkay, is now a good time to-"

"No."

"Okay."

She leapt over a crevice that split the hallway in half, then looked back at the gap with confusion.

"How is that possible? Aren't we underground?"

"I don't kn-"

Suddenly, the world became a tangle of confused architecture. It was as though someone had shoved multiple blueprints in a blender and created some horrible monstrosity of a cityscape.

"Okay . . ." Elkay hummed, "I'm guessing this whole park was Karen's creation, and it's falling apart right now. I think my venom weakened her, but she'll recover soon enough. For now, let's take advantage of her confusion and get the hell out of here."

She took flight, darting between broken pillars and strands of barbed wire, swerving around jagged walls and crumbling staircases that led to nowhere. Claire clung to her back, taking in the scenery with wide eyes.

"This is unlike anything I've ever seen."

"I've seen worse."

"I don't doubt it."

As they travelled through the chaos, something caught Claire's eye. She realized that the green and yellow object moving through the debris was Sarah. She was using her skin-flaps to glide, though the inconsistent gravity made her less graceful than usual.

"Sarah! Over here!"

"Claire, I'm-"

Claire cried out in shock as she was gunned down by a team of security guards.

"I'm on it!" Elkay shouted.

She swerved abruptly, catching the fallen reptile in her paws. Sarah groaned.

"I think they got me . . ."

"You've been hit three times, but you're gonna make it," Elkay announced brusquely, "Do you know where the others are?"

"I was looking for them. Vivian jumped out of this . . . _whatever_ it is. There's an ocean below us. This whole thing is like a big bubble, and if we drop through the right place, we can swim home safely."

Elkay nodded.

"Where's the exit?"

"Last I checked, it was by a big, floaty watch tower."

"Like that?"

Elkay pointed to a building that was caught in a web of electrical wires.

"That's the one."

Elkay changed her course.

"Alright. I'm gonna drop you off. Get ready . . ."

She let Sarah go, and she drifted through a shimmering boundary, disappearing when she hit the surface.

"Will she be alright?" Claire asked.

"Mhm. Zara made it out too. I can see through the border when I adjust my vision."

"What are we gonna say to her when we get out?"

"Tell her that Karen was the monster, not her. That'll work, probably."

"She killed her own husband . . ."

"Well . . . Keep saying it until she feels better, I guess."

Claire perked up when she heard a sharp whistle. Owen was sitting on Penumbra's back, behind Monsanto. They were charging across a broken ceiling, diagonally from Claire's perspective.

"Claire, come here!"

She glided down from Elkay's back. Owen flew up to her, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Oh, Claire, I was so worried!"

"CLICHÉ!" Elkay squawked, "But still cute . . ."

Owen hopped onto Claire's back when the sound of gunfire became audible in the twisted mess. Penumbra appeared from behind the rubble again. Monsanto was standing on her back, shooting at the guards pursuing them. Owen hummed.

"Ready for a bit of fun?"

"Always."

Claire swooped down and blasted the guards with fire. They thrashed around until they broke contact with the so-called ground, drifting into the void before hitting another concrete barrier.

"Nice," Owen remarked.

"I do my best."

Claire's heart dropped as her sister emerged from the ruins. She flew towards Claire, crackling with dark energy.

"Claire, fly!" Elkay screeched.

She beat her wings, but found that she was caught in some unseen web of magic. She struggled to free herself, but it was clear that Karen was going to be faster. Just as she was about to strike, however, a purple spinosaurus burst from a mangled clump of wood and snatched her wing, causing her dark magic to miss its mark.

"June!"

"Run, Claire!"

She turned away, now free from the unseen web, but made a full circle to defend her savior. She used magic to amplify the effect of her beating wings, but found that she was clumsy from the remaining strands of Karen's magic. She did manage to send her sister flying, but the recoil sent her own body backwards, towards the exit. Before she hit the boundary, she noticed a group of guards taking aim at June. They did not manage to shoot her, however, for another spinosaurus dove into the gunfire, giving her a chance to escape. He shuddered from the impact, then went limp. His body floated amidst weightless blood droplets, which surrounded him like a galaxy of red stars. Claire reached out helplessly with tears in her eyes.

"Henry . . ."

She broke through the barrier, and Karen's world disappeared in an oily blur.


	48. White Sand Speech

For a brief period of time, Claire was falling through cold air. She was still staring up at the chaotic bubble of magic, so it came as a rude shock when a sudden impact broke her fall. The air was knocked out of her, and when she took a sudden breath to compensate, she realized that she was underwater, and had in fact landed in the ocean. She thrashed around, trying to right herself. The initial pain of water entering her lungs died down as her body adjusted to the new environment. She felt gills opening along her neck, and took a deep breath. She steadied herself using her newly-formed fins, calming down somewhat. Now that she was no longer in a life-threatening situation, she was able to get a good look at her surroundings. Many of her friends and acquaintances were dropping into the water, just as she had. She rushed to help them, but realized that they were being carried away by other swimmers, including two tylosaurs and one of Elkay's parents. Claire briefly wondered if Zara was helping as well, but soon remembered that she was in no state to be swimming about. Then again, Zara was a brave woman. She was fragile at times, but rarely gave up altogether. Claire felt badly for not telling her how much she admired this feature. She felt even worse about not telling Vic how much she appreciated his loyalty and compassion, since she would never get the chance to do so now.

The fact that Vic was gone hit her right then and there, perhaps not fully, but hard enough that she was able to accept it as the truth. She had still been expecting to find him safe at home upon their return, as though nothing had changed. She anticipated a warm smile, like the kind he gave when she told him that he had done something good, as though the approval of his friends made everything right in the world. But that was never going to happen again. Never. The time in Claire's life that had been marked by Vic's presence had come to an end, and she hadn't realized that it was coming, or that there even _was_ an end to anticipate. Everyone she loved, everything she had, every constant in her life, was not as permanent as she believed it to be.

Vic was gone. He had been taken without warning, and he was never coming back. Claire mulled over this idea, but while it was starting to dawn on her that she had lost a dear friend, part of her consciousness was resisting the urge to embrace the agony in full. It wasn't denial, exactly, but she could feel herself holding back.

When she resurfaced, she saw Zara sitting on the shore, wings wrapped around her children like a nesting goose. She couldn't tell if they were crying. Zara appeared to be lying still, but it was hard to be certain, from a distance. Claire felt a rush of guilt when she realized that she had neglected to offer her support. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. She hadn't made it her mission to comfort Zara, even in theory, and was horrified to realize that when she combed over her previous thoughts on the matter, what she found was a cold and detached sentiment where there should have been empathy. She had unconsciously viewed Zara's pain as an obstacle that she would have to personally overcome, as though it was an inconvenience in the bigger picture. On some level, it was, but the fact that Claire had seen it that way without thinking twice . . . Well, it made her wonder if Karen was right about her all along. Zara had lost her husband, the love of her life, and Claire had responded by urging her to get moving, not for her own safety, but out of a kind of tired desperation that told her she ought to save her friend, because that was what she was _supposed_ to do. She didn't want to deal with another loss, and that was all there was to it. The more Claire thought about it, the more she realized just how _wrong_ her reaction was. She had been _agitated_ by Zara's misery. She didn't want to put a name to the feeling for fear of validating it, but it was true. One of Claire's dearest friends had suffered an unimaginable loss, and all she felt from that was the need to _fix_ her and move on. She was putting the world as a whole before her friends. It was pragmatic, but horribly uncaring, and worse still, it was an echo of her role in Jurassic World. She was losing her humanity once again.

Claire scanned the beach and saw Seriama staring up at the magic bubble, waiting for her husband to return, and realized that this was only the beginning of her problems.

"Claire!"

"AH!"

She jumped as Elkay popped out of the water behind her.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. Listen, before I update you on the situation, I just want to let you know that Penny is okay now."

"Penny's hurt?!"

"No! She _was_ hurt, but she's _okay_ now. Geez, if I knew you were gonna ignore my disclaimer, I'd have let the story take its natural course, suspense and all . . ."

"What happened?"

"Some guy socked her in the gut and her eggs broke inside of her."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, right. Her unborn fetus-things are okay, too. I fixed them with magic while I was healing Penny. They're back in one piece, safe and sound."

"Oh, god . . ."

"Don't use your own name in vain."

"Not funny."

Elkay's ears flattened. Claire sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I know you're trying to cheer me up. It's just that I discovered something about myself, and it scares me."

"I understand. You're afraid that the world and the narrative are taking priority over your personal relationships, making you detached from humanity. Don't be afraid, Claire. You're in charge of everyone and every _thing_ in the universe, so you have to spread your love thin, sometimes. I know it seems like you're losing your ability to care, but you're really not. You're just trying to save as many people as you possibly can, and sometimes that means sacrificing the needs of the few, who may or may not be close friends. If you were _actually_ losing your ability to care, you'd _abandon_ the world, along with your friends and family. That's what _I_ did . . ."

"Elkay, I . . . I don't know if I can . . ."

Claire began to sniffle. Elkay draped her wing over her back and began swimming to shore, carrying her along gently.

"Hey, how about we find a quiet place to work things out? It's okay. We've got the escapees under control. There are rescuers all over the beach. They'll make sure everyone gets out alright."

"I should-"

"Claire, trust me. I'm not lying to make you feel better. They don't need our help right now. But _you_ need some peace and quiet. I'm gonna sneak you past the others so we can have a little sit-down in the jungle, alright? Does that sound okay?"

"I'm going to have to give a speech, aren't I?"

"Yes, once everyone is safe and sound. Like I said, we got the coast covered, but it's gonna be a while before everyone's settled. We have a few hours to think things through. There's no hurry. We can take as much time as we need."

"There isn't enough time in the world for what I'm going through right now . . ."

"You _say_ that, but I know you'll figure things out. It may seem impossible at first, but when you face your problems head-on, it's often not as challenging as you initially expect. Don't think about how the odds are stacked against you, because they might _not_ be. If you focus on what's likely to stop you, it _will_. Just accept that this is going to be hard, and you'll just have to buckle up and face it like every _other_ obstacle that's been thrown your way. That's all you should expect from yourself, but it's more than enough, believe me."

Claire paddled along with her, still hidden under her wing.

"You know, for someone who's constantly breaking down, you give pretty sensible advice."

"It's easier to help others than to help yourself. Besides, I have more faith in _you_ than I do in myself. I'm not saying this to put pressure on you. I don't expect you to pull a miracle out of your ass, just like that. All I'm saying is that we've survived everything so far, and you've been in plenty of shitty situations before, so-"

"This is worse."

"It's _always_ worse, Claire. The stakes are raised because facing impossible odds makes other situations seem minimal, by comparison. I'm sure you had a lot of bad days at work, but the Indominus' escape put that into perspective. And now you face wild dinosaurs on a daily basis, so you don't notice it as much. Things may be getting worse, Claire, but past obstacles once seemed as impossible as this situation does now, which means this is just another one of _those_. Get my drift?"

"Maybe . . . But this is the _literal_ end of the world."

"Well, we've faced a handful of those, too."

They arrived at the beach and slithered into the trees without being noticed. When they were far enough to hear only the loudest noises from the every-growing crowd, they nestled into the lush vegetation and waited. Claire jumped every time a particularly shrill scream arose from beyond the jungle, expecting it to be joined by a full chorus, but there was never an escalation. She tried to stop herself from picturing her sister descending from the sky and attacking the already vulnerable refugees. She expected- and almost _wanted_ \- this moment of release to be interrupted by some new catastrophe, but the relative calm lasted well into the night, until it was time for her to address the masses. Elkay left her side for a moment to confirm that the beach was fully occupied, then returned to inform her that it was time to make her speech. Claire nodded silently and followed her out of the jungle. She crossed the sand to climb up on a large boulder, which would serve as her podium. She waited for the din to die down. It didn't take long, since many dinosaurs and humans had seen her making her way towards the stone, and knew what was coming. When the crowd was absolutely silent, she took a deep breath and looked down at them with an expressionless face. She then lifted her eyes to the night sky and uttered the following words:

"I don't know what to do."


	49. Sorry But Chris Isn't Good At Puns

Claire's words hung in the air for a moment, echoing through the spectators' minds as they mulled over her statement. Half of them, including Elkay, seemed to be expecting her admission of incertitude to be followed by a motivational turnaround, but this was not some dramatic fake-out. Claire was being honest. She was out of ideas. What's more, she had admitted this to the people who were depending on her. The realization that she was being genuine had just begun to dawn on her audience when she added a second horrifying sentence.

"I'm sorry."

And then.

"Goodbye."

As Claire wandered away, pushing through the bustling crowd, Elkay came bounding up to her.

"Hi, um, excuse me, but- WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"I'm done."

"Um, no you're not. You're Queen."

"So were you."

"You- Oh, that's not fair. You _know_ I sucked."

"And so do I."

Elkay flattened her ears.

"If you're gonna make trouble, I'll have to . . . _do something_."

"Okay."

". . . Maybe I oughtn't to be here right now. I'm not helping."

"Elkay-"

"No, I get it. Here-"

She grabbed Chris the Troödon with her tail, lifting him out of the crowd by his neck.

"Talk to _him_."

Before the poor dinosaur could speak, Elkay patted his head.

"Narrate."

And then she flew away.

Chris smiled sheepishly at Claire.

"Well . . . shall we find someplace quiet? . . ."

***ACHANGEINNARRATION***

In spite of everything, the forests of Isla Nublar were quiet. The trees stood unaware of the horror unfolding just beyond the edge of the woods. They were barely aware of the world around them; they might have sensed a certain strangeness about the setting sun's light, but they would never know why its life-giving rays were refracted at such alien angles. Chris did not have the luxury of ignorance. He didn't want to upset Claire further by bringing up the urgency of the situation, but he had already counted six colors of light coming through Karen's bubble universe that had not existed beforehand. The farther the sun sank, the more distorted its light had become when passing through the bubble. Nightfall had staved off most of these strange effects, but if the clouds cleared away completely, the light of billions of stars would reach them. He told himself that this bizarre refraction of light was essentially harmless, despite its apparent defiance of physics and reason, but his mind was still coming up with horrifying scenarios where the bubble might start to affect their reality in other ways.

He had never been terribly good at starting conversation. The idea behind leading Claire away from the crowd and into the jungle was to help her clear her head, of course, but bringing her as far as he had by now was partially Chris's attempt at delaying what he had to do. Above them, a break in the clouds let through a beam of moonlight that was colored somewhere between orange and a forgotten task remembered while trying to fall asleep. Claire didn't seem to notice. They had come to a stop in a small clearing in the woods. Its placement was too perfect to be a coincidence; this, obviously, was where he was meant to make his pep talk to Claire. Elkay had likely left it there before she flew off.

What was he supposed to say? His mind jumped to logic. He could reason with Claire. Claire was intelligent. Well, Elkay had focused the story more on Claire's emotional development. But, come to think of it, Elkay had written most of this plot herself. Karen was Claire's ultimate enemy, and thus set up to be the final challenge for the hero. Claire could beat Karen because Elkay had written it that way; these were _her_ characters. Well, not really. They were characters that Elkay had co-opted. But at this point they were far enough from the source canon that it shouldn't make a difference. Claire would win; that was just how the story would logically end, unless Elkay was going to write a nihilistic downer ending.

Then again, Elkay might just do that. It was impossible to tell how much of her attitude was exaggerated for dramatic effect, sometimes.

He had to do something. He figured he'd have to just bite the bullet and start off with something lame like "Everyone believes in you!" or "You can do this, you've overcome challenges before!" or-

"I'm so stupid."

Claire had started the conversation for him.

No. No, not self-loathing. Anything but that.

". . . No, you're not!"

That was not the best response he could have given. Definitely not.

"Yes, I am. I'm supposed to be taking care of the universe. I'm supposed to be able to do _everything_ , and to do that, I'd need to _know_ everything. I don't, and any number as a fraction of infinity is effectively zero."

Chris did not know enough math facts to properly refute this.

"I'm supposed to be omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient-"

"Omnipredicated."

"What?"

"Omnipredicated. It means all of those things, but all at once."

"Thanks."

Claire's voice might have been sarcastic, but he wasn't sure.

"You're faulting yourself for having limits. That's not a realistic reason to hate yourself. Everyone and everything has limits. The most intelligent person ever to live could still only know so much. The brain is a physical storage unit with a limit on capacity. Faulting yourself for being affected by the mechanical constraints of existence is unreasonable."

"That's easy for _you_ to say! You're not the one who's being tasked with managing all this! I can't afford to be imperfect, but that's all I _can_ be!"

Chris didn't have an immediate response. He looked skyward, noticing that the moon- now positioned just above Karen's bubble- was producing a few more colors with the help of that anomaly in the sky. A moonbeam that was not quite ultraviolet-green passed over their clearing, illuminating the foliage in shades no plant had ever been before. If this visual display wasn't being caused by the essence of evil, it would have been beautiful. The very presence of these alien colors was a fundamental error in physics, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by it.

"Perfection is the enemy of existence," he said to himself.

"What?"

He'd almost forgotten about Claire for a moment, being distracted by the strangeness. But now that he'd said this thought out loud, his mind was working.

"What would true perfection look like?"

"I don't know. Everything would work the way it was supposed to, I guess."

"Vague, but it's a start. What would living things look like?"

"I studied business, not biology . . . marine biology, a little, but not _all_ biology. I guess . . . no diseases? No cancer?"

"And what about mutations?"

"Yeah, no mutations or whatever. The DNA replicates right, doesn't make errors."

"But that in and of itself would negate the possibility of life as we define it. Errors in DNA transcription and translation create mutations in all living things; it's an inherent quality of life. While it's true that some mutations are harmful, most have no immediate effect. A small number are fortuitous, but largely, mutations simply create . . . variation. But when conditions in the environment change, some of these neutral mutations suddenly become advantages. A fish in a river has little need to breathe air, but that does not mean a fish that can breathe air is worthless. The river becomes cut off by geological changes, turning into a stagnant pond, and the fish become starved for oxygen. But the fish which can breathe air, even for a little while, wriggle their way out of the pond and into another river. They survive, and their offspring carry the mutation that allowed them to live. And it's true that some mutations may become harmful with time; humans stopped hibernating during the winter, and now suffer seasonal depression instead. But perhaps some random change will cause a harmful trait to become beneficial again. The future is uncertain. Without divergence from the norm, evolution is impossible. Variation in a population is the only thing allowing us to survive. Without imperfection, the slightest change to our world would kill us all in one blow."

"That's . . . I guess that's kind of nice, but how is my being shitty at everything going to save us? I'm an imperfect living thing trying to manage _the universe_. _Life_ can be imperfect, but not . . . that."

"Again, that is incorrect. Imagine the universe as a truly perfect structure. What does it look like?"

Claire eyed the sky. A cloud shimmered weirdly.

"Not like this."

"Our universe- in fact, _any_ universe modeled after the Overworld- is asymmetrical. Highly so. Matter is found clumped unevenly throughout it, condensing into strands of galactic clusters held together by gravity and other forces. Were matter in the universe evenly distributed, there would be no structure at all. The universe would simply _be_ , without any true content . . . a blank slate without so much as a dent or a scratch. There would be no events, nothing to see or experience or conceive of. Furthermore, the amounts of matter and antimatter at the universe's origin were unequal; had they been symmetrical, both would have been utterly destroyed by the other. A perfect universe would annihilate itself immediately. Perfection is technically possible, but by all accounts, it is also highly unfavorable to us. We are living imperfection, and the universe we inhabit must be imperfect in order to go on existing at all."

"But . . . isn't that . . . that sounds like Karen. What you said about perfection."

"That is exactly what Karen is attempting to create. A universe of perfection. It seems she believes that she can accomplish this while maintaining some form of existence. She is incorrect. If she succeeds, whether or not it is her intention, it is highly likely that she will cause the end of all things, both those that she desires to eliminate and those which she seeks to preserve. I am speculating, but perhaps that is the ultimate goal of Elymas. If it succeeds here, it is likely that Katharos will spread. The sheer number of crossover fictions in existence would provide Elymas with more than enough routes by which to spread the apocalypse. From here it could reach the true canon, spread to other franchises via fanfiction . . . it could reach the Overworld, perhaps even Asterpara. There's no telling where it might end, if at all. I don't mean to sound so grave, but quite a lot is hinging on our ability to prevent this."

There was a rustling noise, and the foliage parted as June and Penumbra entered the clearing. Claire looked over her shoulder in surprise.

"How- _What_ are you both doing here?"

"A toucan pointed us this way," Penumbra said. "I think he's one of Elkay's. We're all going through hell, Claire. But we're going through hell together. We aren't leaving you halfway."

"Thank you . . . thank you both," said Claire, "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now. June, I'm so sorry about your father. If there was anything I could do to-"

June shook her head.

"He didn't want to live forever."

She was visibly shaken, but managed to keep her voice clear.

"He died for something he believed in. I'll be fine, in a while. What about _you_ , Claire? You lost someone, too."

Claire hadn't thought about Gray. In between the unfolding chaos and the physical and mental beatdown she'd just gone through, she'd unconsciously suppressed thoughts of her nephew's murder. But now that she had the time to think, the emotions came rushing in.

"She murdered him," Claire murmured to herself. "She murdered him . . . for nothing."

"Not 'she'," said Penumbra, "Not Karen. That . . . _thing_ up there is not your sister. I've seen people under the influence of evil, but this is something beyond that. It's gone farther than just swaying her thoughts and impulses. It's soaked her completely through. It's gotten into the fundamentals of what she is, torn her soul right out, and replaced it with something else."

"You don't know that," whispered Claire, "There might be something of her left, somewhere inside. If I can find a way to just coax her back out . . . maybe I don't have to lose her too."

Penumbra and June exchanged a glance. June spoke up.

"I don't think this is an enemy you can 'talk' to death, Claire. She's not like what you've faced before. We're going to have to try something new."

"Who's ' _we_ '?" Claire asked, "This is _my_ responsibility. There's no reason for anyone else to risk dying."

"Actually," Chris piped up, "We _do_ all have cause to join in. Well over ninety percent of this island's inhabitants are exclusive to TSJPFEW canon. If this universe is destroyed, none of us will have ever existed. This FanFiction is our home. Even in this gathering, you are the only one of us with firm roots in the original series of films. I am fairly certain that, if it comes to it, you will have Isla Nublar at your side when you select a course of action."

"But I don't even know where to start."

"You don't have to know. Between everyone here on this island, we've got the brains to think of something. We just have to trust each other."


	50. Our Claire Is Marching On

Claire's lip quivered.

"I just don't know how I'm going to _do_ this. Karen is my sister. Even if I find a way to defeat her, how can I-"

She choked on the last word. As tears stung her eyes, Penumbra marched forward with determination.

"Claire, I can't pretend to know what you're going through, but facing Karen . . . It's not the same thing as facing your sister, is it? I mean, she's not herself. Whatever darkness has consumed her is NOT the Karen you knew. Furthermore, it's not your fault that she is the way she is. Yes, we sometimes make mistakes that lead our loved ones to be put in difficult situations. I'm not denying that. But Karen's transformation was as much _your_ fault as it was _my_ fault that my mother was captured when I was knocked unconscious all those years ago. Yet I blamed myself. I believed that if I had just died, she'd have been saved. But I was wrong. I imagined a million scenarios in which I could have acted differently, but sometimes, the world works against you, and actions that would otherwise have no consequences are amplified tenfold. No child should be made to feel responsible for her mother's death. No Queen should be made to feel responsible for her sister's demise. It is an evil force that drives these tragedies, not our individual actions."

"That doesn't change the fact that I've lost a sister," Claire whispered.

Penumbra inched forward shyly.

"Well, you may have lost a sister, but you've _gained_ one too . . . if you'll have me."

She opened her mouth to add something else, afraid that she'd crossed a boundary, but Claire scooped her up in a tight hug.

"Penumbra, you're the best sister I could have asked for. I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through. In a perfect world, we'd be watching our children grow up together without ever having to fear for their safety."

Chris' feathers bristled.

"There's no such thing as a perfect world. That's what I've been s-"

He was pulled into the bushes by a yellow paw. Claire blinked, then turned back to Penumbra.

"I love you, Penny. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Nor I. It's hard to believe that we were once strangers, and I hope to god that we will never be strangers again."

June stepped forward.

"Claire, I have something to offer as well. I'm giving you my sight."

Claire's eyes went wide.

"Your sight? June!"

"I know. I'm grateful for the gift you've given me, but I don't need it anymore. I thought I needed the gift of sight to have inherent worth, but I just needed people to care about me, to treat me like I deserved to live, no matter what I was. More so than vision, that is what you have given me."

Claire shook her head with disbelief.

"But June, you _hated_ being blind."

"No, I hated being unloved. But being able to see that people care about me is better than . . . just being able to see. That's what my father said too, you know. The best years of his life were spent blind, because he realized that he needed love above all else. He would have given up his sight a billion times over to keep his friends. That was what was important to him."

Penumbra nodded.

"We've been denied love by a monstrous world. We've suffered greatly. But you had enough love to share with all of us, Claire. You stood by our side when others abandoned us. You saw the good in us, even when we gave you no reason to. You are the best thing that's ever happened to us. Without you, we wouldn't be living the lives we are living now."

"You've changed our lives for the better, Claire," June confirmed, "We'd be lost without you. May I offer you your gift now?"

Penumbra ducked and turned away with embarassment.

"This seems private. I'll give you a moment."

As Penumbra exited the clearing, June reached forward and touched Claire's forehead with her longest claw. Suddenly, she could experience another layer of vision. It was like depth, but she couldn't quite describe what had changed. Whatever it was, it was helping her a great deal.

June's pupils turned green, only slightly darker than the rest of her eyes.

"June!"

"Claire, it's okay. I've made my choice. You need it more than _I_ do."

"I could give you your vision without losing this sense. I have the power."

"But there's no need. I'm happy this way. Besides, Luke isn't much to look at."

Claire smiled.

"I suppose he takes after me."

June laughed.

"I don't know what happened there, but I'm happy just listening to his voice, and feeling him sitting there beside me, always. Looks are overrated. But Claire, I want you to know that I intend for you to benefit from this. Use my gift well. If it helps you in any way, I will consider it a great honor. My father would feel the same way."

Claire nodded.

"Thank you, June. I won't let her take anyone else away from us."

"Take away? No. We'll see each other again. I've seen both sides of the afterlife. One way or another, we'll find each other again. We may miss each other while we're still living, but it's only for now . . . That being said, don't get yourself killed, please."

Elkay burst from the foliage and let out a puff of fire.

"And that's my cue! You ready, Claire?"

She nodded.

"I'm ready."

They shot into the sky. June listened to the sound of their wingbeats growing fainter and fainter with a smile on her face. Penumbra tumbled into the clearing without warning.

"Wait, what's going on? Where's Claire?"

June nodded to the sky.

"She's going to face Karen."

"But . . . I didn't get to say goodbye."

June closed her eyes.

"You'll see her again. I promise."


	51. Another Redaction

"Alright, here are the rules: One, don't recall happy memories on the way there, and especially not out loud. If you talk about our past adventures nostalgically, you're probably gonna die."

"What if I die anyway, and I regret not saying goodbye?"

". . . Second rule, don't bring up situations in which my advice leads to your ironic demise."

"Fair enough."

"Rule three, if Karen says, 'We're the same,' or, 'We want the same thing,' don't fall for it. You're good and she's bad, and any reference to shared goals is just her trying to mess with your head. Side note- if you wanna do it to _her_ , go for it. Once you get her monologuing, you can find a clever way to k- defeat her."

"Elkay, I don't want to kill my sister."

"I know."

"And do you also know that I'm going to have to do it anyway?"

Elkay winced as Claire burst into tears. They rained down on the ocean, barely making a ripple as they broke the surface of the waves. Elkay wondered if Claire could see them too, using her new vision powers.

"I don't want to kill her, but it's going to happen anyway, just like with Ellie!" she wept.

"Ellie isn't _dead_ . . ."

"She may as well be!"

"Well, here's an idea: why not turn Karen to stone as well? Why not turn _every_ villain to stone, so they can eventually wake up and . . . _not_ be evil?"

"I can't. When I confronted Ellie, I had just become Queen. I had the full power of The Star on my side. It wanted balance. But it's letting Karen- or Elymas- get away with this. I can feel it backing off. It's not trying as hard as before."

"Why not?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I . . . I mean, if you think you have a solution-"

"It wants something else. It wants _you_."

Elkay blinked.

"Oh . . . Then I suppose I didn't want to know, after all."

"Elkay."

"We're not having this discussion."

"ELKAY."

"Look, I'm not ready, okay?"

" _No one_ is. But you've been Queen before. Just do what you did back then."

Elkay snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, _that'll_ go well. Do you know what happened under my reign?"

". . . Yes. I was there . . ."

"Exactly. So you can see why it's a bad idea to put me in charge again."

"The Star doesn't think so."

"The Star does what it wants, and that's not always a good thing."

"So you think you know better than the creator of the entire goddamn Universe?"

"Mhm."

"Right, okay. And you're fine with potentially sending me to my death?"

Elkay went rigid.

"Claire, that's not what I'm doing."

"It _could_ be. How would you know?"

"I . . . Well, how do I know you're not just acting on a death wish to guilt me into taking on a mantle I was never ready to carry? . . . Wait, does one 'carry' a mantle, or-"

"WHO CARES?"

"I do."

"You should care more about the fate of the world and less about grammar."

"Ideally, yes, but we both know that's too much to ask of me."

"Why don't you change, if you're so self-aware?"

"You know how I am . . ."

"But _why_? You care about the world. I _know_ you do. And I know you care about me, too. You've come through for me in the past. Why can't you do it now?"

"This is different."

"How?"

Elkay sighed.

"Can we talk about this in private?"

Claire looked around.

". . . We _are_? . . ."

"No, Claire . . . I mean . . ."

"What? . . . Oh . . . Oh, _really_?"

"Yes. This is the one time I don't want to share my feelings. I know I've been invasive in the past, and I probably don't deserve my _own_ privacy for this reason-"

"You do."

"I mean, yes, but it's a shitty thing to do, sharing your friend's life with everyone, then asking them to keep your own life a secret."

"You know I won't hold that against you."

"I wasn't sure, actually. We're friends, Claire, but sometimes I wonder how thin your patience can truly be worn. I'm not used to being much more than a burden to anyone else . . ."

"Elkay, you can trust me."

"I know, but I can never believe that for sure."

"I'm sorry, Elkay. Whatever it is that made you feel this way, I'm sorry."

"Well, it's too late to change that. I think. But I guess that's what we're here to talk about."

"I know. So are you going to-"

"Yeah."

I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore.


	52. Bursted Bubble

The flight came to an end when Claire and Elkay reached the border of Karen's bubble. They were both crying by then, more gently than a few minutes prior, but still rather visibly. It was becoming clear that this was not a mission either of them were equipped to take on, but they nonetheless continued their journey, finding strength in their shared weakness. This was, Elkay believed, the true mark of friendship. It wasn't often that she found someone as broken as she was, but when she did, it was both a joy and a burden. It had been this way with Ellie: the constant fumbling around in the hope that good leadership would manifest itself through a happy accident, only now the very person she had been watching over with the former Queen had taken up her role, and it was this fact, more than anything, that led Elkay to believe that she would once again be faced with intolerable loss. How many companions had she been forced to part with? Too many. Not just in the sense that there were several instances of tragedy. It wasn't a matter of numbers. Even one loss had been unbearable, and that was before it became the norm. Life, for Elkay, was all about clinging onto people for as long as dragonly possible, then having them torn from her paws, and later being forced to repeat the cycle over and over again. There was no way to describe what she felt when this happened. It was somewhere between the expected wave of grief and a kind of empty acceptance. It was anguish and hollowness, though these two sentiments did not seem compatible . . . at least not until she felt them washing over her for the first time.

Then again.

And again.

The trouble was that Elkay could feel the end coming. It approached with every turn of the page, with every scroll downwards, with every word consumed. With the end of each chapter came the realization that another chunk of the story, of her life, was gone, and while this meant nothing to _her_ , the passage of time brought everyone else closer to death. And yes, death was perhaps not as permanent as it used to be- it was very much possible to interact with dead people, inconvenient as it was for the living- but the dead tended to lose interest in mortal affairs after a while, being perhaps more enlightened, or conversely, self-centered, and it was this thought that terrified Elkay most of all. What if Claire left her, even in death? It was frightening enough to question her fidelity while she was alive, but what if the end of her mortal existence shook some sense into her, and she decided to abandon the poor dragon for good? Elkay would lose Claire forever, and she would be forced to wonder if it was her own fault.

Claire could not be replaced. There were plenty of Claire's in other dimensions, just as there were multiple Ellies, but having spoken to these people- and even without that experience- Elkay firmly believed that there was only _one_ Claire, _one_ Ellie. She could not sustain a conversation with Ellie 2, or with an alternate Claire, not only because of their differing memories, but also because they lacked the essence of who they were to Elkay. Their lives _meant_ something to her: something that could not be described or rationalized. They _came from_ her, and they _belonged_ to her, though in a greater sense, they did not. She had lost _her_ Ellie, and she would most likely lose _her_ Claire, and although they did not officially belong to her, both legally and metaphorically, she had put so much of herself into them that despite her better judgment, she felt they _should_. It was foolish, of course, and more than a little pompous, but it was not her ego that drove her to feel this way, for once. She genuinely couldn't bear to lose a part of her, divorced as it may be from her actual self. She had no right to claim ownership of their lives, yet she felt as though it was her own life being taken from her, and she wondered if there was any way that she could keep their spirits with her, close enough that she could feel alive, herself. Even so, she could sense Claire being torn from her body, and it was as though a part of her soul was being deliberately severed, attached to the whole by a single thread that could snap at any moment.

Elkay could not let Claire die, but in a practical sense, she could not keep her alive. It was not within her power to make such a decision, though she knew exactly what she wanted, for once. But no one was asking her about her choice; she didn't _have_ one. And now she had reached the tear in her world, the swollen jumble of nonsense that corrupted her carefully-designed silliness. It was the end of all things. She did not know whether she could prolong the final attack by filling what little time she had left with whatever sprung to her mind, but all this stalling would inevitably be cut short.

There was a set number of chapters, after all.

She could perhaps make this one longer, draw it out by internally monologuing some more, never changing the theme, lest she move the plot forward and trigger a separation. Even so, she couldn't fly around in circles and ponder life forever, tempting as it may be to try. It was a difficult state to maintain, first of all, and second, it did not make for a life worth living. Before now, every chapter with Claire had been an adventure: something Elkay looked forward to sharing. Now that the promise of a future had become a ticking clock, she could not enjoy this existence, be it static or dynamic. But perhaps she could delay the end just long enough to come up with a solution, unlikely as it seemed.

Of course, there was always a chance that her thoughts would be interrupted by a new catastrophe that propelled everyone into the next chapter, and that was precisely what happened when Karen's magic bubbled erupted.


	53. Of All

"Claire!"

 _Error: Redacted_

"Claire, take my hand!"

 _Bypass Y/N_

"Claire, I . . . Claire . . ."

 _Retrieving . . ._

"Claire . . ."

 _I've been to the land where the bird calls take you._

 _Almost been, nearly departed._

 _I was a Stegoceratops._

 _On the day she opened the door, the moment I changed._

 _I have grown strong since then._

 _I have survived._

 _I am alive because I write._

"Claire, something is terribly wrong! We're too close! Too close to-"

 _You know nobody's reading, right? You act like this is a big, important thing, but you're just some nobody writing a silly story that means nothing. You're going to be forgotten when you're gone, which will be very soon, at this rate._

"That's so mean. Why would you _say_ that?"

Claire thrashed around in the wind.

"I didn't say anything!"

"Not _you_. The-"

At that moment, their eyes met. Aside from the usual pain, Elkay was aware of another power Claire's gaze imposed upon her. She was suddenly brought into another sight. Another world. And it was there that she saw-

"Patrem."

The red dragon turned to face her.

"You remember me."

"Of course I do, but I thought you were gone . . ."

"No one is ever truly gone."

"Yes, but you died, and-"

"And my spirit rested on the sacred altar for many years, until a man by the name of Owen Grady brought me down from Tall Mountain. I have felt through Claire's heart. I have seen through June's eyes. Now, I have returned to Claire, to protect her as I did before."

Elkay gulped.

"I'm- I'm sorry I couldn't give you a more dignified, um-"

"Claire has been magnificent, and so have you, since I know you're only ashamed of Claire for reflecting a part of who you are."

Elkay bowed her head.

"I'm sorry."

"You know you have no reason to be. Why do you let your doubt tell you otherwise?"

"I . . . it's safer that way."

"Being ashamed of who you are for fear of being judged will not prevent judgment, but call into question the validity of your own confidence, both in yourself and others."

Elkay nodded.

"Maybe so, but you were a better leader than I was, and that's a fact."

"No. Perhaps I had strength, which was born from goodness, and brought more goodness in turn, but it was equally born from ignorance, and brought suffering to those I did not see from on high."

"That still puts you above me."  
"Again, no. Do you know what would happen if you went darkwings?"

"If I- Well, first of all, I don't have wings- I mean, I have _wings_ , but not w _-_ Oh, wait! I don't have wings, so I can't go dar-"

"You can, and you will. The absence of Triskmenonthion, be it in you or in me, would not prevent Elymas from consuming us, just as it did with Karen. No, we are _all_ at risk of being infected, but _you_ . . . do you know why you are safe from corruption?"

"Because I'm already an awful person?" she snuffed.

"Precisely."

Her ears pricked in surprise.

"What? Oh, I was just joking. Are you serious?"

"Yes. One who admits fault, who sees their own shortcomings- even if they are far too hard on themselves sometimes- cannot be consumed by darkness."

"Not even through irony and cynicism?"

"Temporarily, but you love your friends too much to be consumed entirely. You will come through for them, one way or another. Perhaps by simply writing for them, and choosing to do so even in the darkest of times, inside the story . . . and out."

"But Karen loves Claire . . . and Lowery and Zach and Gray . . . why has she not recovered?"

"She is weak. She is weak because she believes herself to be strong. That is why Elymas has taken hold of her heart. She believes him to be her ally, believes that he is nothing without her. It is quite the other way around. Elymas can survive without a host, and is in fact weakened by tethering himself- _itself_ to another. But he is no match for Claire. Not alone. He loses power by binding with another entity, but Claire's love for Karen makes her a powerful tool. When attacking Claire, Elymas knew to go straight for her heart."

Elkay nodded.

"I understand. And I know this doesn't make it any better, but I'm sorry I slept with him."

"And I am sorry that he was reborn in my closest friend."

Elkay stiffened.

"What?"

"Oh, yes. He was indeed brought back to this world because of my foolishness. I was warned by my father. He told me that my endeavour would end in suffering . . . but neither I nor my friend listened. Together, we sought out an ancient magic, one that predated our parents, and your mother . . . she says that she is one of the first dragons. She is lying. After the former reign of Elymas, our world needed to be rebuilt. In the time of my grandfather, there was little hope. He laid down his life to entrap Elymas in what would come to be known as The Beneath. Your mother aided him in creating the realm, and later took it upon herself to send away all the world's evil. She was young, you see, and after witnessing the deaths of her mother and father, she believed that a perpetual evil resided in the hearts of many creatures. But capturing them was a misguided measure. Evil remains in this world, even without fragments of Elymas present."

Elkay's mouth hung open.

"She lied to me . . . I'm not surprised that she did it, but this is still so overwhelming . . ."

"Many people have lied to you, just as many people lied to my generation. The truth can only be found by those who have not yet learned how to lie . . . not those who have been deceived into thinking that they should. In death, I realized that taking on the burden of my predecessors was a mistake. Very little goodness comes from lying. I was hurt by those lies, and by an ignorance born from the secrets kept from me . . . yet I did the same to you. I never told you that I was responsible for the rebirth of Elymas. You blamed yourself. But you did not recreate him."

"I propagated him . . . in the form of evil snakes . . ."

"And in doing so became immune to him. I regret that I allowed that to happen to you, and I even more regret that I allowed Elymas to exist in the first place, but we cannot undo what has been done. We've both made mistakes, K-. But you have admitted them more openly than I. I am not a good dragon. I simply hid my shortcomings out of pride. But you . . . you can be great."

"I don't think so."

"You have the right idea, then."

And with that, he was gone.


	54. Rock You Like

"Elkay!"

Claire made a dive for the unconscious dragon as she plummeted into the magic-fuelled hurricane, but her eyes shot open suddenly, and she righted herself.

"Claire, I just had a vision!"

"That's nice. Can we discuss it when we're NOT flying through a vortex of doom?"

"Sounds good."

Elkay banked left, following the tornado's motion. Claire followed. They made wide loops around the vortex, getting faster and faster with each turn.

"Are we going to shoot out from the side?" Claire shouted.

"That's the pl-"

Suddenly, Elkay was struck by a large chunk of stone. She reeled, but managed to steady herself.

". . . Or not."

The vortex had begun to suck up objects . . . and people. Humans, dinosaurs, and everything in between were flying past, and judging by the shifting base of the storm, more would come. It was not a stationary hurricane. It seemed to be moving across the island, picking up loose objects as it went. This was a very good way to get people killed, Elkay thought, and she had a bad feeling that if the storm petered out, anyone caught inside of it would be faced with a nasty drop, probably too high for non-dragons to survive. By that logic, everyone zooming past them was already as good as dead, unless they intervened.

"Claire, do you have enough magic to teleport these people to safety?"

"Of course!"

"Do it. I'm going to face Karen and see if I can get her to stop fucking shit up."

"She won't listen to you!"

"Oh, I know. I was planning a distraction of some kind. I'll delay her next move by . . . doing something. Anything to buy you a few minutes, really."

"And then?"

"Hopefully, we'll have figured something out by the time we're faced with the next plot point."

Claire shook her head and groaned.

"You and your plot points. Fine, I'll save as many people as I can. Just don't get yourself killed, okay?"

"God, if only."

Elkay rose towards Karen's hub, which was floating in the middle of the storm, untouched by the swirling debris. She beat her wings twice, then turned her head to the side.

"Pssst. You might want to follow Claire, not me."

Meanwhile, Claire was encasing the unfortunate island-dwellers in bubbles made of white magic. Her horn glowed with each spell, fizzing as she launched the spheres out of the hurricane by tossing her head. She saved quite a few lives in the span of three minutes, and the rhythm she maintained almost made it feel like casual busywork. This was a task she felt confident executing. It was almost a relief, after facing nearly impossible odds.

But as she approached a raptor caught in the storm, she realized that he was not struggling against the wind. He had gone quite limp, and the unnatural angle of his neck indicated that there was little hope of revival. Perhaps this wasn't such a lighthearted task after all.

Claire approached the raptor, hoping to send his body home, even if his life had been lost. She caught up to him, grabbing his torso and struggling against the storm. When she turned his face over, however, he slipped from her arms, and she nearly got caught in the wind, herself. She watched as the storm tore him away, until he disappeared in the debris. Tears stung at Claire's eyes.

"Charlie . . ."

Although she doubted that Charlie would have lived to see his mother's return, it was still heartbreaking to witness his premature death. And even if he'd had no hope of seeing his mother again, his father was still very much alive. Claire thought about how Alan had taken Karen's side. What would he think now? Would he regret his decision? It wasn't his fault that Charlie was dead, of course, but if Claire knew anything about losing a child- and she did- she was certain that there would be no hope of convincing him otherwise.

Overcome by a sudden, unbearable grief, Claire forgot the other victims of the tornado and set out in search of Charlie's body. She scanned the debris for a very long time before realizing that she had lost him, at least for the time being. She promised herself that she would find his body when the time was right, so that Alan would have some form of closure. Or something to bury, at least.

"Claire."

She turned as Owen joined her in skimming the outer layer of the storm. In his Stegoceratops form, he stood out against the droplets of mud and water caught in the hectic gusts. She buried her face in his red scales, unsteady as the wind rocked both of them back and forth.

"Charlie's dead."

Owen went rigid.

"Not our Charlie," Claire sniffed, "Ellie's."

Owen breathed a sigh of relief, then realized that that was not an appropriate response.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"What are we going to tell Alan?"

Owen took a deep breath.

"That won't be a problem."

Whatever the reason for that was, it couldn't be good. Claire was afraid to ask, but-

"Why? . . ."

"Karen killed him. I just got back from her fortress. She-"

He winced.

"She killed him like she killed Gray. It was-"

He shook himself off, then adjusted for his miscalculated flight maneuver.

"He's dead. That's all I'm saying."

Claire choked.

"Why did she kill him? Or was there even a reason . . ."

"Well, I suppose that's the good news, if you want to look at it that way. He betrayed her. Stood up to her. She was going to kill Elkay, and he said that even if he didn't much like her, she was Ellie's friend, and he remembered how fond she was of her. He said that he wanted to honor Ellie, and he thought the best way of doing that was to wipe the slate clean, but that wasn't what she would have wanted. Life is messy, he said, and Ellie liked it that way, even before Elkay came into their lives. And then he talked about how he had been given a son, a home, stuff like that. And then he said something else- I don't remember what- but it was a challenge to Karen, and there was a long silence . . . then, _poof_."

Claire closed her eyes.

"He was a good man. I'm glad he didn't have to hear about Charlie's death."

"And vice versa."

"I suppose they'll see each other, wherever they are."

"I think so, too."

There was a pause.

"Claire?"

"Yes?"

"When a person dies, are they sad that their family members are still alive and far away, or do they feel comfortable waiting for them? Are they happy when their family members die and return to them?"

"I hope not. That seems kind of disturbing."

Owen nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Why do you ask?"

He inhaled, beating his wings more firmly.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. If something happened-"

"If I died, you mean."

"Yeah . . . _that_ ," he gulped, "If . . . if that were to happen, I don't know if I could go on living."

Claire grabbed him by the shoulders. He tensed up, letting the wind carry them both haphazardly.

"Owen," she muttered seriously, "Lily needs you. She needs us both, but if she doesn't have me, she still needs _you_."

Owen frowned.

"She's not a child anymore, Claire. She can handle herself."

"Owen, if you kill yourself while Lily is still alive, I will never forgive you."

He sighed.

"I know, and you're right. I wouldn't. But it's hard for me to think about you dying."

"So don't."

"But I'm . . . _afraid_."

"We've died before, Owen. It's no big deal."

"I think you know it is."

Claire sighed.

"You know, we're going to have to tell Liam that his brother is dead."

"And his father."

Claire nodded vacantly.

"You know, sometimes, I don't like being us."

"But you wouldn't change anything, would you? . . ."

"No. This is who we are. We have responsibilities. It's hard on us, but it's good for the world as a whole."

"I wouldn't trust anyone else with the fate of the world, to be quite honest . . . Ms. Dearing."

She jostled him gently, then gazed up at Karen's domain.

"I guess we're the best, last hope for the world."

He shivered.

"I guess we are."


	55. Has Descended Across

When everyone who could possibly be saved had been removed from the tornado and sent across the ocean in makeshift rafts (and on the backs of aquatic reptiles), Claire and Owen climbed the turbulent wind and travelled towards Karen's lair, which was still constructing itself. It was now a spiked ball of debris, like a mace or a curled-up hedgehog. Claire's wings were trembling, partly because of the weather, and partly because of . . . everything else. Owen gave her the side-eye.

"Claire, are you sure you can do this?"

"I have to."

"No, you don't. If you want . . . If you _need_ me to . . . I can go up there alone and . . . put an end to . . . I can stop this . . ."

Claire shook her head.

"No. I can't force you to murder someone, least of all my sister."

" _You_ shouldn't have to kill her, either."

"I agree, but if it comes down to that, the world is my priority. I know what we have to do. It's gotta be one of us, but we're going up there together, regardless of who ends up doing it."

"What if we talk her out of-"

Claire laughed bitterly.

"Oh, Owen. Not _this_ again. Look, we both know that she's not coming back to our side. She's going to- to _die_. We're going to have to _kill_ her. She's made herself into the bad guy, which means it's up to us to stop her, traumatic as it may be."

"This is horrifying."

"Yes, I know."

"Why did she have to _do_ this?"

"Well, she didn't _have_ to. This was a choice. I'm furious that she'd do this to me, to you, to Gray, to the entire fucking world . . . but . . . You know. It happens."

"It happens too often."

After a pause, Owen tossed his head and snorted.

"Why is everyone out to get us?"

"They're out to get Elkay, mostly, but people like you and me . . . we get caught in the crossfire."

"Sometimes, I really hate that dragon."

". . . Okay, me too, but it's not her fault. None of this is anyone's fault. We're all doing our best, but bad things . . . they happen. It's unfortunate. That's all."

"I can't wait to see what bad thing happens next," he snuffed.

Claire exhaled.

"It's not fun to deal with this shit, Owen, but that's just the way it goes. What else _can_ we do? Just sit by and let it happen?"

"No."

"Exactly."

"But I wish we could fix things for good."

"There's no way to magically solve every problem in the world. And there's no way to make a happy ending stick. New challenges will arise, and-"

Owen groaned.

"Yeah, I get it. Do what's right. Fight evil. Rinse. Repeat. It's-"

He grunted as he hit an invisible wall. Claire mooed in surprise and screeched to a halt. Slowly, Owen slid down the barrier with a deep squeak before peeling away and shaking his head.

"Well, that was unexpected."

Claire inched forward and batted the air with her front foot. She found the wall, which pulsed black at her touch. Owen joined her, making swirls with his toes.

"Now what?"

Suddenly, he shot forward as if he was being pulled by an invisible rope. He screamed, and Claire followed him by instinct, narrowly escaping the closing barrier that would have otherwise cut her in half. Before she could pursue Owen, she was yanked back by a yellow tail.

"Claire, stop!"

"Elkay, let me go! My hu-"

"It's a trap, you stupid cow! Don't you see that this is exactly what Karen wants?!"

"I'm not going to leave him!"

"You don't have to. Just don't go barging in without thinking things through, okay?"

She let her go, and Claire steadied herself, still aggravated.

"What do you propose we do, exactly?"

"Sneak through her off-brand force- _shield_ and take her by surprise."

"Something tells me she won't be surprised . . ."

Elkay twisted her beak.

"Yeah, maybe not. She'll probably take advantage of our false sense of security."

"Do you have another plan?"

"Nothing that's guaranteed to work."

"Great. Just great."

Elkay crossed her arms.

"Well, if _you're_ so smart, why don't _you_ come up with a plan?"

"Because it's too late. Karen has the upper hand, and it'll be a miracle if any one of us makes it out of here alive."

Elkay chuckled.

"God, I _wish_ I could die. Do you think she's allowed to kill me off?"

"Who's stopping her?"

Elkay blinked.

"No one? . . ."

"So you _could_ die."

"That's the spirit! Let's go!"

And without another word, she charged towards the promise of death.

***TSFEW***

When she entered the room in the center of the palace (using the term loosely, of course), Claire was puzzled by a strange and intricate design on the floor. It was a reddish spray-patch that stained the marble (and how did Karen manage to get _marble_?!), like some kind of painted-on carpet. It seemed to be laid out randomly, with about as much symmetry as a wine puddle. Perhaps it was a spill of some kind. As Claire drew near, she realized that this was most likely the case.

It smelled of blood.

She sidestepped the red spray, trying not to choke or vomit, vaguely wondering whether the puddle had once been Alan, or if there was another murder to add to Karen's rapidly-growing list. Her sister was sitting on a collection of rocks, which was loosely arranged into a throne. Beside her was a ramshackle cage made of iron claws, hanging from a chain that led to a post wedged between two stones. Sitting inside the shoddy prison was a very jerboa-shaped Owen.

"Nice of you to visit, Claire. Just a few housekeeping notes: all exits have been blocked, and if you try to harm me in any way, I'll turn this flea-bitten rodent into a stain on the wall."

"I'm not flea-bitten," Owen muttered.

Claire gazed at his diminutive figure. This was obviously a power move on Karen's part. Aside from the emotional significance of the chosen spell, it was a warning that she could do as she pleased, that Claire was one wrong move away from watching her husband erupt into a bloody mess, albeit a small one. In other word, she had lost.

"Just kill her, Claire," Owen whispered, "Don't worry about me."

Karen kicked his cage. Owen clung to the bars as the structure swung back and forth violently.

"Can you bear to watch him die, Claire? I promise, I'll make it as painful as possible," Karen teased.

"You have The Star. Blast her head off," Owen insisted.

Karen grabbed the cage in one hand and shook it.

"Don't be stupid. I'll kill you in a microsecond. Besides, I'm her sister."

Owen nipped her finger. She pinned him to the wall with magic, and he started screeching in pain.

"I never liked you. I won't be sorry to see you die."

"Karen, please . . ." Claire gulped.

Owen thrashed around.

"Did you feel anything when you killed Gray? Did you enjoy killing your favorite son?"

He fell silent as Karen pushed him further against the metal. He was barely able to breathe, never mind scream.

"Tell this rat to keep quiet, Claire, or I'll kill him before you have the chance to provoke me."

". . . Shouldn't take much. You're kind of a bitch," Owen choked.

He dropped to the bottom of the cage suddenly.

"I'm not foolish enough to kill you before using you as a bargaining tool," Karen said breezily, "Though I'd certainly enjoy it, don't get me wrong . . ."

Claire lifted her head.

"So you're willing to negotiate?"

Karen smiled.

"Let me put it this way: you're defeated no matter what you choose, but how much more death comes from this is up to you."

"Oh."

Claire began to mull over her limited options, hoping to find the best method of de-escalating the conflict, but at that precise moment, Elkay burst through the side wall, axe in hand, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"A-A-AMBU-U-USH!"

Before reaching Karen, she tripped over a folded carpet and took a dramatic plunge, dropping her weapon.

"Oops."

Karen turned back to Claire.

"The hard way it is, then."


	56. Z Is For

As Karen lifted her arm, she was suddenly knocked to the side by a large, purple . . . _fuzzy_ object in motion. Bast pinned the livid woman to the ground and growled, whiskers flexing menacingly.

"Surprise."

Her entrance was followed by that of a pink Zebra, who cackled joyfully.

"Honey, you just got served by a fabulous feline."

Elkay took on her dragon form and rose defiantly.

"Ha! You fell for my ruse. Bast, Mo'nique, your timing was perfect."

Mo'nique's ear flopped to the side as she tilted her head with confusion.

"But Elkay, we never planned-"

"SHHH."

Meanwhile, Karen struggled to squirm free under Bast's paw.

"I'll kill you! And _he'll_ kill you, if he finds you! You think you have friends, but it's all a lie. There _is_ no friendship- only alliances- and right now, you don't have many powerful players on your side."

Elkay rolled her eyes.

"We GET it. You're BAD. No need to hammer it in. Such lazy writing . . ."

"It's YOUR fault."

Elkay shrugged.

"Yeah, I've been kind of half-assing it recently. I hope we're approaching a soft reboot in the series. I have too many characters to keep track of, at the moment. It's rather embarrassing how this is all playing out, what with me forgetting crucial plot elements and whatnot . . ."

Suddenly, Bast erupted into a pillar of blood.

". . . such as Karen's ability to murder people instantly. RUN!"

Elkay zipped towards Owen, nabbing his cage in her mouth. Claire followed the panicked dragon, narrowly avoiding a beam of deadly magic cast by her sister. They had moved past confronting her, it seemed.

As Claire dashed down the twisting corridors, the image of Bast's figure dissolving into a red mass echoed in her mind like a skipping record. She had not yet embraced the horror of what she had witnessed less than a minute ago, but her logical self knew that it was going to haunt her dreams for many nights to come. Furthermore, she was beginning to imagine the same thing happening to her other friends, her family . . . _everyone_. If Karen had her way, more and more people would be executed without warning, not to mention the catastrophic effects of whatever she had planned for the world as a whole.

"Wew, dat di'in go ath thmoothly ath I wath hofing thor!" Elkay mumbled through a mouthful of jerboa-cage.

"Ah! You're slobbering all over me!" Owen squeaked.

Elkay spat him out. The cage shattered, and he changed into a human again.

"Oh, so when _I_ do it, it's gross, but when _Claire_ does it, suddenly you're hot for- AH!"

Elkay yelped as she nearly tumbled over a ledge that led to the building's exterior, which was still surrounded by a hurricane.

"We ready to fly?" she asked.

Before they could reply, Mo'nique came barrelling down the hallway and knocked them over, falling into the turbulent mayhem herself. Elkay watched her drop with a flat expression.

". . . How did she even get up here in the first place? . . . Nevermind. I'd better go save her."

She dove down, spreading her wings slightly. Claire and Owen followed. As they plummeted into the chaos, Claire peered over her shoulder nervously.

"Karen isn't following us."

"Because she knows we're coming back."

". . . Are we?"

Owen gave her a sympathetic look. They stopped with a gentle flutter as Elkay caught up with the screaming Zebra, carrying her to safety.

"I'm gonna drop her off at the beach. You guys have fun, okay!"

"Elkay, the beach is being sucked up by a hurricane," Claire pointed out.

The dragon batted her eyes.

". . . Oh, right. Well, I'll bring her back to Asterpara, then. I'll notify Zebil's Dad about Bast's death."

"Do you even remember his name?" Claire groaned.

". . . No. But I'll work around it," Elkay chirped.

Before she could protest, the dragon dove through a newly-formed portal. Claire rolled her eyes and turned to Owen.

"Let's get out of here."

"And go where?"

"To . . . to find the others. Check up on them. See how they're doing. Then we'll go to Asterpara and-"

Claire was knocked out of the sky by a large chunk of debris, but she soon found herself clamped in a pair of talons. She looked up, unsure of what to expect, and saw that her saviour was no threat, nor an unfamiliar creature, as was often the case.

"Zara? What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came back to help you defeat Karen. I know I don't have much to offer, but I'm doing my best . . ."

"Zara, you did wonderfully, but I don't want you to risk getting hurt on my behalf," Claire replied sternly.

Zara made a gentle squawking sound.

"But that's the thing . . . You two are up here risking your lives for literally everyone in the world, and all _I_ can do is sit alone and cry. I just did something horrible, and regardless of whether or not it was my fault, I'm making the decision to rise up alongside you and take control of my life. This is _my_ decision. I'm going to avenge Vic."

"But Zara, your children . . ."

"They won't be safe if Karen wins. I'll defend their right to exist, along with everybody else's."

Claire smiled.

"Zara, that's very brave of you."

"It's the right thing to do. You may be Queen, Claire, but every good leader needs an assistant, and I'm ready to assist you."

Claire gave her a warm hug.

"You've done more for me than you'll ever know. All of you. I wouldn't even BE here if it weren't for my friends."

Zara beamed.

"Oh, speaking of your friends, Vivian and Sarah are willing to fight as well. Lowery, too, as long as he doesn't have to kill Karen personally. There are many people on your side, in fact. I was going to bring Vivian up here, actually, but she's helping Penumbra deliver her eggs."

Claire gasped.

"WHAT?!"  
"She has very bad timing," Zara huffed, "But she's fine. So will you lead us into battle, Claire?"

After a pause, she nodded.

"If this is to be our last fight, I want it to be our best effort. Gather up everyone who is willing and able to stand up for what's right. Today, we defend our right to exist."

"SILLINESS AND ALL!"

Claire jumped as Elkay appeared behind her. The dragon grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. You were taking a long time to follow me, so I decided to check up on you . . . anyway, into battle . . . and whatnot . . ."

Owen shook his head.

"We are SO screwed."


	57. By The Victors

The final battle took place in Asterpara. Karen had fled to the rocky islands near Pallasmaa, perhaps hoping to take advantage of the challenging terrain. The tall, dark rock formations seemed to follow an erratic design. Glistening in a thin mist, they looked ready to crumble, yet somewhat firm, like a pack of crocodiles with decaying flesh. They posed a tangible danger, even as massive chunks of flesh fell away from their figures.

The sky was grey, a much paler grey than the rocks below. It seemed white by comparison. The sea was no more chromatic, making the entirety of the landscape appear utterly desaturated. It was a gloomy day for a grim battle. Even spilled blood would lose its brightness on such an afternoon.

The armies of Asterpara and Jurassic Park approached Karen by sea and sky, swimming or flying or floating in boats. They were joined by a third army, that of Fiction, led by a valiant King, friend and ally to Elkay. Never before had these three worlds joined forces, or at least not in battle. There had never been a threat so dire to unify them in war. Any danger that sprouted from one world, whether it threatened to spread to other realms or not, had been previously stomped out by those affected, perhaps allied with potential victims, but never more than a few. This particular foe was known to all: it was the embodiment of evil, the darkest force that poisoned each of their homelands indiscriminately. As abstract as the idea of "evil" was, the desire to triumph over it was understandable, _knowable_ to all who had suffered injustice, great or small. Complex and subjective though evil may be as a concept, there was no doubt that this particular evil must be stopped, for if it was allowed to thrive, the future would be marked by an infection of its broader ideals. If left unchallenged, this general evil would become the _personal_ evil of many, many victims.

And so it was that the three armies joined forces. Within these groups, smaller skirmishes formed. Elkay led the dragons in place of the army's missing Marshall. Penumbra led the Stegoceratopses, gliding between rock formations to compensate for her limited flight. No one led the characters of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World into battle, but there was no denying that their strongest asset was Zara. No creature fought as tooth-and-talon as she did. Having lost so much, she was ready to use her carnivorous features to further her cause, redeeming them in their intended function.

Their foe was not only Karen, but also Elymas, and being a dark entity, it could manifest itself in many ways, and in many places. It most often took the form of its opponent in a shadowy perversion of their figure. It soon became clear that the soldiers were not simply fighting against an external force of evil, but also facing the darkness within themselves. The majority overcame their other halves, I'm happy to say, proving that the desire to do good, hidden though it may be at times, will inevitably triumph over the parts of us that wish to suppress it. United in this wish, we are capable of rising above our primordial instincts. That notion was magic enough to give the three armies the upper hand. Karen was not expecting them to be so strong, for she had herself allowed the darkness to consume her. For a moment, she was confronted with the possibility that she was wrong in her way of thinking, that perhaps there was something in this existence worth fighting for.

This moment was short-lived, and she was soon filled with unbridled rage once more. She was correct in her beliefs, she assured herself. It was the rest of the world who had succumbed to their harmful delusions, and they could never be convinced to understand the purpose of her destruction. For their own sake, she must be more resolute than ever in her desire to annihilate them.

But it was a goal that seemed less and less feasible as the battle continued. The armies were advancing on her rapidly. She was outnumbered. If she had not yet lost, she was well on her way, and it wouldn't be long before her beautiful emptiness would be crushed by the fools who preferred existence to nothing.

Well, if she was going to lose, she wouldn't go down without a fight. She'd take as much from the world as she could manage, obliterate whoever she could get her hands on. She would kill and kill and kill until she was killed herself. It was time to take from the world all that she could manage to bring with her, to remind the deluded masses that everything they held dear could be made into nothingness. All that was sacred was just as destructible as anything else.

While foam-crested waves crashed against the rocky cliffs below her, Karen gazed at the shape of her sister descending from the sky, and knew exactly what she wanted the world to be rid of the most.


	58. Claire And Owen Die

Karen's fist tightened around her magical staff. The spearhead warped into a jagged claw, like the way sand looks after being struck by lightning. Claire landed in front of her sister. Owen followed at her tail, changing into his human form when his feet touched the stone. Claire folded her wings and marched towards Karen calmly.

"You've lost."

"Only for now, Claire. But you can't hold me back forever."

"I'm not holding you back, Karen. You've chosen a dark path all on your own. But it's not over yet. I'm here for you, as I always have been."

"Liar. You've _never_ been there for me."

"Karen, the last time I caught you trying to conjure dark magic, we were teenagers. I picked you up from Trixie's house when she kicked you out, and we almost ran over Owen."

"You didn't know it was Owen."

"No, I didn't, but it was fate all the same. I missed my date that night because I cared about your safety. Yet we continued to grow apart. I know I've wronged you in many ways, Karen, but I never stopped loving you. We're sisters, and no force on Earth can change that."

"Elymas can."

Claire shook her head and extended her front leg towards her sister.

"No, Karen. It can't. I won't let this darkness come between us. At the end of all things, we are still sisters, and that can never be erased."

Karen snarled and grabbed for Claire's foot. She stumbled backwards in shock.

"You are no sister of mine! You're a deluded fool defending a dying world!"

Claire lifted her head defiantly.

"This world is not dying, Karen. In fact, there's a lot worth saving. I'm saving this world for you, for me, for _us_. This world is where we _belong_ , and we belong in this world _together_."

"I don't _belong_ here. Neither do _you_. We were dragged into this miserable existence by a dragon, and look where it's gotten us. I lost a _child_ , Claire. I lost a child because of a misunderstanding between two gods who thought they had the right to mess with my life. I mean _nothing_ to them. The most I can ever be is a character, and not even an important one. What about my _life_? What about my _child_?"

"Karen, you have- _had_ three beautiful children. I understand that what you went through was damaging- no human being should have to suffer that kind of pain- but Karen, what you've become is so much worse than the unfairness of life. You've turned into an active agent of misery, and perhaps something worse than that. The nothingness you so desire will result in the erasure of all pain, yes, but it will also remove everything good about the world, all the joys and beauties that make the suffering worthwhile."

"It's only worthwhile when people live happy lives like _you_ do."

Claire's beak quivered.

"Karen, I lost a child _too_. She died by my side, and I had to go on knowing that it was partly my fault. I was responsible for a disaster that resulted in the deaths of many friends, and afterwards, I was so broken and filled with self-loathing that no healing seemed possible. But I had Owen, and together, we learned and grew and experienced every joy that life has to offer. We had Lily, and we almost lost her many times, but even knowing that fear, I wouldn't wish away her existence. I'm glad I had someone so precious to me that I could feel such concern, because being afraid to lose someone makes you realize just how much you love what you have, and no pain should ever warrant taking that feeling away."

Karen gnashed her teeth.

"If I had my way, you'd never fear losing Lily again, and you wouldn't even know the difference."

"But I'd have to lose her to get there."

"In the emptiness, it wouldn't _matter_."

Tears brimmed in Claire's eyes.

"No, you're right. _Nothing_ would matter. And that's why it's not worthwhile. How can there be any beauty in nothingness, in a world devoid of what we love? How can you erase the people you care about, just for the sake of eliminating pain?"

"Spoken as someone who's never felt true hardship . . ."

Claire took a deep breath.

"Karen, you don't know me. You don't know the suffering I've endured. You can't even begin to imagine the guilt, the shame, the utter _agony_ I've had to endure to get to where I am right now. But . . . I wouldn't change a thing. Once, I tried, and I realized that the desire to seek out perfection is our greatest downfall. Yearning for a flawless existence prevents us from appreciating what we've been given. We were not put on this Earth to be without pain, but instead, to experience life in the _best_ way we can, _whenever_ we can. That's why I still love you, even now. I look at you, and I don't see a monster. I've tried to make myself forget who you are, but every time we meet, I'm reminded of the woman who entrusted me with her children, who saw goodness in me when I seemed lost to the emptiness, just as you are now. I see the sister who danced for me, who tried everything within her power to take me back from the darkness, and who eventually _did_ , by bringing Owen into my life. I owe _everything_ to you, Karen, and I know that deep down in your emptiness is a sliver of _something_ , a something that will grow to overcome the hollowness, if only someone can shine a light on it."

"You're wasting your time."

"I know you're still in there, Karen."

She lifted her chin, eyes burning with cold fire.

"Alright. If you're so confident that I can be 'brought back', tell me this: are you _sure_ that I won't kill you?"

Claire gulped.

"I don't understand . . ."

Karen began to circle her.

"Surely, a sister who could be redeemed would never _kill_ her sibling. That's why _you_ can't kill _me_. But if _I_ kill _you_ , you'll be proven wrong. If there's any of this so-called 'goodness' left in me, surely it would stop me from murdering my _sister_. . ."

"You murdered your own child . . ."

"So you admit that I'm beyond redemption!"

"No! That's not-"

"How far-gone do I have to be before you let me go, Claire?"

She gulped, shuffling backwards.

"Karen, I don't know why you'd-"

"It's simple, Claire. We will fight, and eventually, one of us will kill the other. If _I_ kill _you_ , you'll know that you were wrong about me. If _you_ kill _me_ , you'll never have to admit that I was beyond redemption. You can tell the others that you sent me away to some death-world because I was too strong, and you needed to make a quick decision to save their lives. You'll be a hero. A _murderer_. And you'll get to keep believing that I could have been saved."

"That's no victory. I can't go on, knowing that I failed to save my sister . . ."

"Exactly. And if _I_ kill _you_ , it'll prove that _I_ was right, and as the cherry on top, _you'll_ be _dead_."

"So you win either way."

"Yes."

"Then what's the point of choosing?"

Karen smiled.

"Did I say you _had_ a choice?"

Before Claire could answer, Karen leapt upon her, changing into her leather-winged Stegoceratops form. She tore into Claire brutally, and when she was thrown off by a panicked buck, she just kept coming. Owen fell back after a warning from Claire, who would not allow him to intervene in this conflict. She dodged the attacks for as long as she could, then moved into defensive maneuvers, and then into a counter-attack. Karen was not stopping. She was ready to kill or be killed, as she had promised. And just as she had predicted, Claire could not kill her sister. Rather, she _would_ not kill her sister. Whether this was some fatal flaw or the mark of heroism, she did not know. It simply _was_.

But as the battle went on, Claire's heart hardened. She remembered how Karen had murdered Gray, how she had betrayed her friends, how she had abandoned her sister . . . This monster was not Karen, no matter how _real_ the deception appeared in her mind. Perhaps there was nothing in her sister's heart, and she truly _was_ the corpse-host of the parasite Elymas. If this monster appeared to be Karen, it was only on the surface. Embittered by this thought, Claire's rage boiled to the surface, and she fought her enemy without restraint. This was how she gained the upper hand.

At the peak of the battle, Claire slammed Karen into the stone, pinning her down with her front feet. As she prepared to drive her horn through her sister's heart, she dissolved into her human form beneath her legs, dizzied by the attack.

And then Claire paused.

This hesitation- this single _breath_ \- was proof that believing in the complete loss of Karen was an impossibility for Claire . . . proof that she could _never_ let go.

It was also a window of opportunity for Karen, who used the pause to conjure a simple, _deadly_ spell. Her spear, which had been lost during the battle, lifted off the ground and shot forward, embedding itself in Owen's chest. His eyes went wide, and he dropped.

Claire screamed, launching Karen into the air with her horns. As her front feet slammed into the ground, for the briefest of moments, her wings turned pitch black. But then, as she took a breath, the darkness faded away, instead leaving her body in the form of tears. They streamed down her cheeks in silence. She closed her eyes.

"I won't let you win."

Claire took a deep breath. She knew that regardless of any internal conflict, she would have to kill Karen. It was the only way.

But as she charged forward, she saw Karen standing before her as a child, as a teenager, as an adult, preserved in the memories she could not suppress. This was her sister, her first friend, the woman who was supposed to live adjacent to her, sharing her experiences of love and family and . . .

Tears streamed across Claire's scales as she ran, remembering how Karen had danced with her in the living room wearing beaded necklaces and scrunchies, how she had raced her down the bunny hill at the end of every ski trip, how she had stayed up late at night listening the shadow puppet stories that Claire invented by the light of their old lamp . . . This was her sister, even if it wasn't.

And then she slowed to a stop in front of Karen, disturbed mist collecting at her feet.

She could not kill her sister.

In a heartbeat, Karen once again took advantage of her sister's hesitation. A knife appeared in her fist. As she drove it into Claire, she felt nothing. Her heart was already broken.

She fell on her side, making the ground shake. Karen stood over her, gloating. She did not see Owen charging at her from the side. He drove her own spear into her waist, knocking her over the edge of the cliff. She let out a loud shriek as she fell, which was abruptly cut off by a loud snap. Shocked, Claire dragged herself to the ledge. She looked down at the mangled corpse of her sister, which was splayed unnaturally across the rocks below. Though her neck was bent far backwards, it seemed to Claire that she could have been sleeping.

As she turned away from the wretched sight, she crawled to Owen, who had fallen to his knees. He pulled himself forward using one hand, clutching his wound with the other. They sat by each other's side, Owen leaning against Claire's belly. His head fell back against her scales as he struggled to speak.

"Claire . . ."

Glowing blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

"It's okay, Owen. I know you had to."

He nodded, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't faster."

"Me too."

He took a long, shallow breath.

"I think . . . I think we're dying."

Claire nodded slowly.

"I think we are."

He coughed.

"Well . . . we had a good run, didn't we?"

"That, we did."

He stroked her snout. She closed her eyes and rumbled with contentment. The clouds had begun to part, revealing a setting sun. They watched as it sunk into the vast ocean.

"You know, I thought I'd have more to say, but . . . we've done it all, haven't we?" Owen whispered, "This is the best I could have asked for. All I ever wanted was you here . . . beside me . . . and now we'll never be apart."

Claire smiled.

"So this isn't goodbye."

"Not for us."

A single tear trickled down her cheek, but it was not a sad one.

"We'll have to watch over Lily, of course."

"Of course."

They were silent for a while. Eventually, Owen let out a quiet grunt.

"I think it's almost done. We've died before, Claire, but I think this is the last time, don't you?"

She nodded.

"It is."

"I'm glad we're doing it together, this time."

"Me too."

Owen's hand became still. His eyes fluttered shut.

"So, what do we do now?"

Claire lifted his hand with her snout.

"We do what we always do. We stick together, for . . ."

The last word instead came out as her final breath. Her head lolled to the side, and her tail lowered to the ground. Owen, too, was no longer breathing, and the two of them lay motionless in the warm light of the setting sun.

Noticing Karen's body being carried away by the crashing waves, Penumbra climbed up the rock formation, calling out to her friends.

"Claire? . . . Owen? . . . Are you-"

She gasped when she reached the top. She remained petrified for a moment, but gradually made her way over to the motionless couple on unsteady legs.

"Claire? . . ."

She nuzzled her queen, and receiving no response, burst into tears.

"Oh, Claire! . . ."

She wept over their bodies as the orange glow became a field of stars.


	59. Kings And Queens

After three weeks of legal chaos and emotional turmoil, Lily's coronation day arrived. There was no clear protocol for the event, as she had already received her wings, and it was more of a formality, and not even that, since everyone knew that the celebration had no purpose outside of maintaining the appearance of government stability. The period leading up to the event was like a dream, a nightmare for some, but in the end, it was decided that life would have to go on, as devastating as the circumstances were. It was not a question of whether or not Lily _wanted_ to move on, or if she even _could_. A void had opened up in the universal leadership, and if she didn't fill it, no one else would. All things considered, she held herself together rather well, partly because the shock of losing her parents was enough to keep her from absorbing the tragedy in full. She assured her subjects that she would continue the legacy of their former rulers, and when her speech was done, it was met with thunderous applause. Lily hoped she would someday prove herself worthy of their trust.

Backstage, she met with Penumbra, who smiled warmly as she stepped through the curtains.

"They seem to like you."

Lily shook her head with exhaustion.

"Well, they know all about me. I'm not sure why they haven't figured out that I'm prone to messing up."

Penumbra poked her with the tip of her tail.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, kiddo. You're more competent than _I_ am, and I've had hundreds of years to figure this shit out."

Lily nodded.

"I hope I do better than Elkay, at least . . ."

"Oh, you _will_ , sweetheart. You oughta have more confidence. You're doing amazing."

"Only because I've had so little to _do_ . . ."

Penumbra clicked her tongue.

"Lily, you've accomplished a great deal. I'm proud of you . . . and I know your parents would be proud, too."

A moment passed between them. Sensing their shared pain, they caressed each other, crying long-overdue tears of unbridled sorrow.

"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart. It's gonna be okay," Penumbra whispered, patting Lily's back, "We're all struggling, but we'll figure this out together, I promise. I'm here for you, now and forever."

Lily nodded, whimpering.

"I miss them so much, Penny."

"Me too, baby, me too."

"I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Me neither. But your parents knew how much you loved them. They _knew_. And they fought until their last breath to protect you, to make sure that you could continue what they started. They'll live on through you, as long as you hold them in your heart."

Lily sniffled and let Penumbra go, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist.

"You know, you were her best friend."

Penumbra took a deep breath.

"Maybe."

"No, I mean it. She told me. There's no one else who even came close."

Penumbra smiled sadly.

"Well, I sure hope you're exaggerating, considering how it all started . . ."

Lily closed her eyes.

"None of that matters anymore. She forgave you a long time ago. There's no need to carry that with you for the rest of your life."

"Even if I wanted to, I don't think I could forget. Still, I trust that I can remember the way it was near the end above all else. My life has been a nightmare, but that part felt real."

Lily ran her front foot down Penumbra's arm.

"I'm glad to hear it. Keep that in mind whenever you feel lost."

Penumbra nodded.

"I will. Tell me, Queen Lily, do you want to go out and meet your new subjects?"

"Sure."

They made their way down to the reception area. Lily noticed Lowery standing on the fringes of the crowd. She paused.

"Hey, Lowery. You okay?"

He took a deep breath.

"It's a lot to take in."

She looked down.

"Yes, I know. If you need anything-"

"I'll be fine. It's just gonna take some time to adjust."

"Yeah . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She . . . Well, she-"

He broke off, throat wobbling.

"It's okay, Lowery. We understand," Penumbra said quietly.

He nodded, unable to speak. As Lily struggled to come up with words of comfort, a large dinosaur slithered out of the crowd, fitting through the bodies gracefully.

"Mind if I join you?"

Lowery looked up.

"Sure. Your name is Seriama, right?"

"That's right."

"I've heard of you. I'm sorry about your husband."

She smiled sadly.

"He wouldn't have wanted it any other way. If he had to go, I'm glad it was on his own terms."

Lowery frowned pensively.

"You know, you remind me of someone."

"Is that so?"

Taking this interaction as her cue to leave, Penumbra shot Lily one last smile and broke away from the crowd. As she padded across the moonlit fields of Isla Nublar, something twinged in her chest. The most devastating feeling of all was knowing that she'd never see Claire again. There was so much she wanted to tell her, things that she could have said during their years of friendship, if only she had known that the end was coming.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

***TSFEW***

Navigating a dark forest, Penumbra found herself in a misty clearing. A silhouette appeared through the fog. As it drew near, she stumbled backwards.

"I'm dreaming . . ."

"You are," said Claire, "But I am here with you, I promise. And I always _will_ be."

Tears filled Penumbra's eyes.

"Claire, I- I'm sorry."

Her laughter was like music.

"Don't be. I no longer feel pain, nor grief, nor any sorrow whatsoever. Owen and I have received the third gift."

She spread a train of white feathers that rested on the base of her tail. Penumbra gazed at her with wonderment.

"It's beautiful . . . you look like a Queen, more than ever."

"But _you_ don't."

Penumbra cocked her head.

"Well, that's because I'm _not_. Lily doesn't need any help from me."

Claire smiled coyly.

"Lily is Queen of the Universe, but we're still missing our _Stegoceratops_ Queen."

Penumbra's jaw dropped.

"You don't mean . . ."

Claire kissed her snout, and a third horn grew from it. Penumbra crossed her eyes, then looked at Claire, who touched horns with her.

"My time is over. It's all up to you now. Be the Queen you waited for."

Penumbra threw her arms around Claire's neck, nearly knocking her over.

"I love you, Claire. I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"Well, the good news is, you don't have to worry. I'll always be with you, whenever you need me. You may not always see me, but I'll be there, watching over you."

Penumbra nodded, eyes dripping. Claire lifted her chin with the tip of her tail.

"It's time for me to go, but don't forget what I've told you."

"I won't."

Claire smiled.

"Say hi to Geno and Gurri. Tell them our story. Let them grow up knowing that their mother is a true hero: someone they should always be proud of."

"I hope you're right."

Claire winked.

"I'm always right. See you around."

And with that, she disappeared.


	60. The End Of All Things

Claire's death had left the world . . .

After the death of Claire Dearing . . .

Elkay sat with a blank piece of paper lying on the desk in front of her, staring down at it, wondering if it would soon join its companions in the recycling bin. She turned to Penumbra, who was sitting by her side.

"You see? I just can't do it. I don't know what it is, but I've lost the ability to write."

"Maybe you just have writer's block."

"I NEVER get writer's block."

"Maybe it comes with age?"

"I'm over a trillion years old."

"Ah."

They sat in silence for a while. Then, Elkay burst into tears.

"I miss Claire!"

"Oh, Elkay, we all do . . ."

"I'm so alone."

"You still have me."

"But for how long?"

"For as long as I can stay."

This didn't seem to console the dragon. She swiped her papers aside.

"What's the point?"

"Was there _ever_ one?"

Elkay opened her beak wide.

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"That sounded better in my head."

Penumbra covered her ears, ducking out of the way as giant tears hit her new horn.

"Elkay, you'll see Claire again . . ."

"But now she's a heaven-ghost, and she won't like me anymore!"

"Why wouldn't she like you?"

"Because anyone who makes it to Elliesium is too good for me!"

"That's not true . . ."

"It is!"

"Elkay, Claire cares about you, even now. She wouldn't-"

"It's my fault."

"What?"

"It's my fault she died. I didn't take The Star, and now she's gone."

"It's no one's fault, Elkay."

"I don't deserve to be a Queen. I don't deserve to call myself an author . . ."

Penumbra shook her head.

"Elkay, don't say that. If it's really upsetting you, we can go on an adventure together. You can write again."

She sniffled.

"Do you mean it?"

"Of course."

"Well . . . I suppose we have time. Very little time. Penumbra, can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"I don't think we're canon anymore."

". . . Okay . . ."

"Maybe we never were. I mean, it's not up to us, is it? Who lives, who dies, who gets a happy ending . . ."

"Do _we_ get a happy ending?"

"We get an ending. I don't know if it's happy yet."

"Well, there's plenty of time to figure that out. Plenty of time."

 **The End**


End file.
